How new of a truck do I need to haul intermodal?

Not sure about the ones on the west coast or wherever, but I see some pretty decent rides pulling containers around my area. Petes, Kdubs, Classic XLs. I see some junk, but there's some junk pulling any type of trailer imaginable.

 

some junk out west here but every once in awhile see something nice

 

Not sure if a joke or not, but I'll bite. Many variables, depends on the state, the company, if you're running the ports or west coast.

 

Never seen anything nice hauling a container. It’s all junk cause they can’t afford to maintain the stuff!

 

That's not true.
They don't start off with nice equipment,then it
Turns to junk because they can't afford to fix it.
They start off with junk. Then it just falls to pieces.

Any main highway going in and out of a port is
Littered with these trucks on the shoulder with their
Hood up and triangles behind them.

 

Spot on lol

 

On a more serious side, NY and NJ have banned trucks older than 1998 begining in August 2020 in their ports. That line of thinking may finds its way down into MD and VA soon with the leftest whack'o governor we currently have in Virginia. So getting a "newer" truck is something to take into consideration based on where you're going to operate. As for the junk out on the road, there is plenty of it but that is because they keep hopping from junk company to junk company. My local guys in Norfolk make deep into six figures and do a fine job keeping their stuff in tip top shape.

 

Man you sound just like the operations manager that talked me into going over there lol.

 

There's a lot of variables in that too. Depends on if it's a company truck or a single unit, and who they are leased to forcing them to maintain it. Several of the dray companies in my area, that run their own trucks, are all turning over new trucks, there's one that isn't, but I suspect before long they will be forced to as well.
We buy new trucks every 4 to 6 yrs, we're in the process of replacing all our Mack's with new T680's (which all suck), my current Mack is 5.5 yrs old with 502K on it, it'll pass a Level 1 with no problem, other than rock chips on the hood, it looks #### good and will fetch a premium price when we resell it. I know a lot of owner operators driving junk, and I know some driving very good condition trucks. To an extent, it depends on who they are leased to, there's a few of the smaller dray companies in my area that are from out of state, the local office barely looks at the trucks pulling for them, and it shows, whereas, the larger or established local companies, keep up on their owner operators. There's a few that look like hell, maybe mismatched tires, but in general will pass an inspection because the companies keep on them about it.

 

1908 Stutz