hello fellow drivers. i have ben thinking a lot lately about giving up the company trucks and buying my own. just not sure with fuel prices like they are.i have a few questions for any of you o/o if you can help.

1. how good does your credit have to be to buy?

2.about how much down do i need?

3.would i be better off buying new or used?

4.should i have a maintance account started and built up some before buying?

5.what would be a good company to lease on with? i only want to pull dry van.

1 decent credit and a business plan (SBA backing)

2 depends on truck value, your credit and various other things

3 id go used, new are too new

4 yes, and some reserve money

5 depends on what you want to pull

its not a good time to buy your own truck at this time...

If you are being able to pay your bills with the company you are with now... Stay there, until things get better, at least until the fuel is not this high.

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-Dion
2001 Peterbilt 379 EXHD C-15 475HP 18sp

it's a great time to buy one.... just not such a good time to own it

^^^^lol, true that.....

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-Dion
2001 Peterbilt 379 EXHD C-15 475HP 18sp

Actually thats very true. And this gave me an idea, idk if i am wrong but;

If u can afford to make a long term investment, buy one( of course used one and if u have the cash ! no finance )but dont run it. Keep on working as a company driver, fix the the things that needs to be fixed on your truck, and when / if things get better, roll with your own truck.

Things getting better is not gonna be due to fuel prices going down. They wont, they never do. But it can be due to the raise of our milegae payment. One way or another, even cheap freight hauling companies, will have to reflect the prices on customers.

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Look at the bright side of it, when i say u suck, at least i tried to be polite!

West bound n down, 18 wheels a'rollin.

thank you all for your comments. this is something i have been debating on awhile now.but the fuel prices have been what is holding me back.

Unfortunately the fuel prices will never go down... not to what they where, they may move a few cents here and there but it is what it is. Now rates, that is what needs to go up. Personally I could care less if fuel got to $10 a gallon so long as the rates where high enough to cover it. I think when most stop complaining about fuel and start focusing on rates it will be a much smarter battle.....

And to your question if you have disipline and self control you can make it today. It is not going to be a cash cow by any means till the rates go up but you can survive the storm...

Good luck to you.

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The rates will go up once the abundance of trucks goes away. There are too many trucks and not enough freight. Many companies are struggling to make it but unfortunately they will not last.

Well the boards I am using have plenty of freight, I think it is still inline with the price to move it. The big companies are starting to slow down like crazy and I think it is because the game they have been playing by taking the cheap shhit is finally catching up to them. You can only run so long at a loss before your are falling way behind. I agree with others that have suggested that the big companies tactics where to take the cheap loads and keep them there to run off the smaller guys but those of us who have stayed the coarse is why the prices are starting to increase. They are not jumping by leaps and bounds to where they should be but none the less they are starting to move in the right direction. There are a lot of doom and gloomers on here and unfortunatly if they don't controll their spendings and slow down they will be gone too. My truck will cluck with the best of them but I keep her rained in at 65 and am gettin 6.2 to 6.7 mpg with about 20k to 40k onboard. Empty I am hitting low 7's and the loss of speed has made the trips that much more enjoyable, no more trying to wriggle in and out of traffic and I haven't been bottled into a large pack of 4 wheelers either. It's just a matter of doing what our basic human nature is and that is the ability to adapt to our surroundings.

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