I want to buy a used truck want your opinions guys

Well if you don't have $2000 to do this, than you risk of having a truck sitting on the side of the road with a blown engine or some other problems that costs 10 times as much.

It is a tool, it has to be checked, it isn't a car - many think it is and that's stupid.

This is how you make money, it has to be in top shape because being dependable is a key to making money. So when right from the start you are compromising on buying it, you will also compromise on upkeep and repair, your risk increases exponentially.

 

Then you need to be at the auction and know what you’re looking at and looking for .
Or find someone you trust to look at it before you bid.

I bought three vehicles in Europe ,on eBay, and had them shipped to the US , but they were cheap and I hired a mechanic I never met in person but trusted , to look them over and pick them up and get them to the port .

 

Not much , I just wanted the drivetrain , turbo diesel engine, five speed manual trans and transfer case and axle gears.

You asked for advice so :
How much cash do you have saved up ?
You’re gonna need enough to buy the rig , and about that much more to repair it before it hits the road , and another pile in reserve for unexpected repairs , and are you getting your own MC or leasing on with a company that has their own freight and trailers ?

Are you a decent shade tree mechanic ?
Can you handle the small stuff yourself ?

does this truck have emissions stuff on it like DEF and particulate filters etc ?

will you ever be running in California ?

 

Unless you're mechanically inclined, have deep pockets and can be there in person I'd steer clear of auction iron. 9 times out of 10 its there for a reason and the reason usually is that it has issues.

 

I don't work on trucks anymore but I see a decent amount of iron roll in the door from the auction. In most cases it never ends up being the deal the buyer was hoping for.

 

It doesn’t look too bad, but hard to tell from one picture of the back of it. If you buy it, plan on sinking a good bit of money in it. You may be pleasantly surprised, but with a truck that old it’s doubtful. Also it most likely has the 14 liter Detroit, that’s a diesel guzzling engine. I had an 07 Century with it. Good engine mechanically, but made 4.8 mpg.