Rates are crashing and fuel to the moon!

Those gotta do pretty good on fuel with a detroit and a manual.

 

If that is the only thing on the maintenance side of your ledger then you aren’t doing proper maintenance

 

I know you are trying to be negative, but I just listed the main most expensive things that have been done, not everything that gets fixed every year. I do oil changes every 10k miles and every little thing that needs attention gets fixed right away.
Sure, stuff always breaks and needs to be replaced, but it costs way less compared to new trucks. Parts are just way cheaper and anyone can replace them without needing a computer. Heck I once replaced turbo by myself at a truck stop parking lot. Took a bit more than an hour with $1500 spent on parts

 

In the summer time it does 7-8, but it has an aftermarket 550hp tune. With stock 430hp it would never even get 7.
N14 is 6.5-7.5, have never seen 8mpg with it.

 

Those wind deflectors on the hood help a lot.
Interiors hold up the same way I bought them, just gotta tighten cabinets bolts every few years. The first gen VNL were built way different compared to new ones. There is an inch thick insulation everywhere in the cabin, wires are thicker, air lines lines are thicker, even driveshaft is twice as thick vs what new Volvos have. Everything was built to last. With every new generation after 2003 they are trying to save more and more money and built quality is not the same anymore. I would never buy a Volvo from 2008 and up.

 

I’m not trying to be negative. I’m just shedding light on the fact that there is more maintenance than what you described. Lots more. And you change your oil once a month. I change mine 4 times a year.

But yes parts do tend to be cheaper. But I haven’t had to replace any major components in 400,000 miles. And if you stay in a new truck and run them to 500,000 the odds are you will never have a major break down. You will not have to have a clutch or brakes or u joints or wheel seals or any number of things that you have had to replace.

 

I totally agree with that. You gotta buy brand spanking new or old pre EGR and restore. Everything in between is crap. For an o/o I think the 2nd option is better, because after you spend 70k, you basically have a brand new truck that will run another 800k with minimal maintenance. With new truck you put that 70k as a down payment, still have monthly payment and high insurance, and the truck will start falling apart with less than 500k miles.

 

But as you stay in new trucks they get cheaper to get into. It’s the initial new truck that is the biggest hurdle. I have done both of your options. And by far new is the most profitable. But you do you. And no! I would not purchase a used emissions truck.

 

Well seeing how you said you spent $50k on maintenance in one year, we have vastly different experience when it comes to running old equipment. For $50k I would probably replace every single component on my truck

 

Whenever I see an owner operator who posts financials but doesn't include a "Jorts" surcharge, I know they crank trucks for $2.99 a mile or less.