How d I get a truck?

Your last paragraph is the truth, "fix it" is subjective... Learnt my lesson.

I now own several thousands of dollars of tools and diagnostic equipment. DPF truck, that is no longer an issue... Rawze.com.

 

How I got mine:

Saw a truck I liked. Gave the driver my contact info and told him, "If you decide to sell that truck, call me."

He called me a few months later. He wanted out. He got the truck at one of those Buy Here Pay Here places and he was behind on payment. He wanted $3000 down and for me to take over payment. He actually tried to double broker the truck with him being listed as a lienholder. That wasn't going to work. I contacted the Buy Here Pay Here place and they told him to park the truck and get out free and clear right now OR no deal. He cleaned the truck out and they got a fresh DOT for me. I gave them $4000 and made the agreement to pay them $1200/month, and then traveled to the truck to pick it up. It had recaps on the drives.

"Why THAT truck?"

I was working mainly in Canada, northern Alberta to be exact. They had a different set of laws. And it's a completely different ballgame. The truck had the wheelbase I wanted, the engine I wanted, the transmission I wanted at that time, and the rear ends and sleeper. Even the front axle. In the States, people buy trucks for the sleeper space and the aerodynamics. In Northern Alberta, they buy trucks to go in and out of Hell.

When buying a truck, DO NOT agree to do a weekly payment. Every time you go home, you get punished with a weekly plan. Watch out for the old "bait and switch' routine?

"What's the 'bait and switch' routine, Six?"

As mentioned, I was looking for a specific truck to do a specific job in a specific area. If you do your homework and see a truck that meets your specs in the truck paper or truckfinder or whatever, you call on the truck, put in a credit app, get approved, ready to go HIGH FIVE DRIVER...

...and two days before you go to pick up the truck, it disappears.

"Waitaminute, I thought we had a deal..."

Well, sorry, dont know what happened... and then they call you 2 hours later telling you about another truck that they will let you have for the same money...but the specs are off...

Walk away. If you put in the time to buy the right truck for the job that you want to do, and they bait and switch, walk away.

 

I’ve great respect for folks that take on the curve of fixing an EGR/DPF truck, I chose , with limited tools and knowledge, to avoid this curve by purchasing a well tested machine.

Trusted Independent mechanic - either way - is the key. Smaller tools and advice can cover 50% of the general maintenance.

Then - revenue generation is the focus, revenue can overwhelm almost all trucking challenges.

I had to learn.

 

Thank you for your concern and advice. My reason of trying out the lease first is to see if I like it. If I were to buy a truck then I am stuck with it rather or not I stay leasing to my company. I want to get some experience and earn some capitol so I can put a good down on a good truck with around 100k miles. I have driven many trucks over the last three years and I have learned some things. All trucks break down no matter how old or new they are. Getting a truck with around 100k on the odometer has enough time in that most of the initial issues will have happened and been repaired and also be less likely to start having major breakdowns for a little bit so I can get myself set up to have a good chance to be successful.

 

I seen a nice ride in truck paper with a Delete I wanted that truck bad. After talking to my shop he says nobody would work on it.

 

WRONG!

A breakdown can and does happen long after 100k on the clock.

 

I didn't say they don't break down I said it was less likely. Every truck I have drove with between 100 - 200k on the odometer has broke down a lot less then trucks with more miles.

 

Several problems with your plan:

Raising capital while doing a fleece is almost impossible.

Buying a truck with 100k on it, why did they dump it? It's probably a dog that was breaking them or they were running cheap and not making enough to pay for the truck which means they were probably neglecting maintenance.

When they say selling for health reasons it means they were sick of the truck.

Good luck

 

It's starting to look tired. Just send it my way.

 

Several problems with your plan:

Raising capital while doing a fleece is almost impossible.

Buying a truck with 100k on it, why did they dump it? It's probably a dog that was breaking them or they were running cheap and not making enough to pay for the truck which means they were probably neglecting maintenance.

When they say selling for health reasons it means they were sick of the truck.

Good luck

You make some valid points but your statement applies to all trucks for sale. I am just saying it has been my experience that trucks within that mileage are "less likely" to have major problems. Key words are less likely. I do realize that most lease programs are "fleece" programs but not all. The company I work for is 97% an O/O company and I drive one of there contractors trucks. I have talked to a lot of the lease drivers and drivers that own their equipment. It is a good opportunity for me and I have done my due diligence. Out of the 15 or 20 drivers I talked to only one did not recommend doing it. That drivers reasoning was based on several years of experience and seeing rates decline. This is a well known problem across the whole industry. All the other drivers I talked to were making good money and highly recommending the program. I have been driving as a company driver for three years making cents and it is time for me to take the next step in my goals for my career.

 

Several problems with your plan:

Raising capital while doing a fleece is almost impossible.

Buying a truck with 100k on it, why did they dump it? It's probably a dog that was breaking them or they were running cheap and not making enough to pay for the truck which means they were probably neglecting maintenance.

When they say selling for health reasons it means they were sick of the truck.

Good luck

You make some valid points but your statement applies to all trucks for sale. I am just saying it has been my experience that trucks within that mileage are "less likely" to have major problems. Key words are less likely. I do realize that most lease programs are "fleece" programs but not all. The company I work for is 97% an O/O company and I drive one of there contractors trucks. I have talked to a lot of the lease drivers and drivers that own their equipment. It is a good opportunity for me and I have done my due diligence. Out of the 15 or 20 drivers I talked to only one did not recommend doing it. That drivers reasoning was based on several years of experience and seeing rates decline. This is a well known problem across the whole industry. All the other drivers I talked to were making good money and highly recommending the program. I have been driving as a company driver for three years making cents and it is time for me to take the next step in my goals for my career.