Some numbers for new O/O

When you say full time do you mean living on the road because thats life any way im tired and im kinda bored with this thread so ill catch yall on the flip side just keeper between the ditchs

 

On slow season I'm not pushing harder than 3-4 days a week... Usually 3on, 4 off....i love it.
Like i said, new truck is paid every month in 3-4 days it's not a big deal at all.

No need to be scared of new trucks but you need to know what you buy also.

During produce and busy summer I'll often do 6 days a week, home every 2 days.

The 2016 is getting replaced in July and has only spent 2 days total in the shop out of the last 445,000 miles.
1 injector w/cup
1 ACM module
1 weeping water pump (pinched seal)

Warranty is about a draw but the piece of mind I wouldn't give up for the gamble.

It's been a good truck, very reliable and i don't worry about big repairs so i sleep well at night. Next truck will get the same extended motor and emissions warranty but they go to 6 years , 750k now.

For the cost of one weeks work during produce season, i think warranty is inexpensive for all the expensive parts during the duration I'll own it.

 

I got through last year with a total repair and maintenance cost of $5900 for both Truck and dry van trailer. Having said that, I only bought a few used trailer tires @ $100 each. Only expensive repair was abs minor stuff, I fixed myself. No repair shop bills. Just minor stuff, I fix myself. Usual average is around $12000 per year. This year will be a lot more, as tires , brakes and a wishlist of things I’d like to do.Funny thing is my first Truck 23 yrs ago, I bought w/ 500 k also spent an average of $10-12 k. Most of it to repair Shops. Have learned to avoid them at all costs, except for an emergency. Also I have and still see an awful lot of unnecessary repairs being done. The old “ might as well do this and that while your at it” or it’s got to be wore out, I’d just change it and be done with it. Easy for a Mechanic to say. Making money in Trucking depends a lot on how much You keep.Its not easy, I don’t like to part with what I make. Too many Shops out here ready to take all you have. Good way to go broke.

 

I wonder how many people who say it costs nothing to park paid for equipment have ever really parked any paid for equipment for long periods of time? Paid for equipment loses money when it's parked. Fixed costs do not just magically get put on hold when you park a truck. Paid for equipment makes it easier to park now and then but you better have some cash on hand to BURN while that unit is sitting there.

 

That’s right.It costs Me around $100.00 a day on average, wether it works or sits.That includes my health insurance costs. Add lost revenue, ( The house still has to get paid, bills don’t stop).Thats another $200 a day. I’ve taken up to 4 mos off once, only once, biggest mistake I ever made. Burned through $40 k. At the wrong time, as economy fell off a cliff soon thereafter. That’s why I always try to make the money first. Then spend it. Regardless New with payment or Old paid off. The biggest cost of downtime is lost revenue.Everyone has different ways of avoiding it. Depends on the person and their abilities and desires. Some can work on them, but choose not to, to each his own there’s no right or wrong way.My most difficult times were when Truck still had a year or two left to pay on, and started getting bigger repairs, 750 k or so, waterpumps clutchfans,etc. That can be tough.

 

The truck didnt cost the money it self like the payment thats what i meant i didnt mean that you didnt loose money at all sorry for any misunderstanding.

 

How the heck does a person burn through 10k a month for 4 months? Loss revenue opportunity revenue yes, but that's different than out of pocket expense.

 

$1500 wk times 4= $6000. Add $1700 Truck pymt. $300 ins. That’s $8000 a month to be replaced alone. The rest was spent on house and Truck projects. Although I saved a lot on labor, And did things the way I wanted, the reality is it also cost Me quite a bit. Due to lost revenue. My point is when the Trucks not running, You not only have to support the house, but the Truck also. My Trucks paid for now, but still have Ins payments of $700 a month plus need a paycheck for the house. That’s still $1500 a week. So about $7000 a mo. Today. The point being, doing your own work on a Truck isn’t always cost efficient, have to figure the total cost.

 

Once again, you're including money you didn't earn as money you spent.

The way I see it in your numbers, you burned only through $8,000 by letting your truck sit for that long. All those other things you would have spent anyways.

 

That’s true. Be nice if I could find the other $32,000!!! Lol. I took 2 mos off this year, and bottom line is it costs money. Due to lack of income and existing liabilities.As far as Truck pymts. Much better to not have one. Back then I had $1700 Pymt. Truck was getting wore out. Finally paid it off, blew engine, then wrecked Truck. Meanwhile freight tonnage had started a 6 yr decline. I’m very careful these days, My current Trucks been paid off for 8 yrs.You never know what’s around the corner. Having a big pymt that’s made in two days working sounds easy. Not the whole story. I would never get a Truck pymt over $1500 again. That’s just my opinion. Everyone’s different.