Old Trucks

Easy to find aftermarket parts, they're just as good as Cat parts are anymore from my experience. The Cat reman heads are garbage anymore, if they last you 200k miles before cracking again you're doing good.

 

Anything with a Tasmanian devil mudflap.

 

Or hood paint.!

 

Old Truck, New Truck, doesn’t matter. Electrical problems need to be repaired correctly, even better in some cases, to avoid another problem. Keeping wires from chafing, is the biggest problem. Regular inspection and zip ties, insulation, clamps, whatever’s needed. Main thing is to keep everything in order, original, or better. Too many hack repairs, causes most problems. Aftermarket is huge, a lot of it’s, as good or even better, than original. Major Companies that make OEM are all in on the Aftermarket. And usually at a competitive price. What’s expensive is the new,” dealer only “ parts, found on newer Vehicles.

 

Longest wait for parts on my 3406A was 7 days for 5 of the 6 cylinder kits. Spacer plate, bearings, gaskets, seals etc were all overnight.

 

I've heard from some OO's that buying a good old truck, early 2000s with no emissions and rebuilding everything instead of buying something newer is the way to go...These guys are open deck guys with more powerful trucks too.

So you are saying that if we buy better older trucks and get them up to snuff most companies won't allow us to lease onto them?

 

And what about the driver

 

1966 Mack model B with a NTC335

 

I've done both. As long as I was the one driving the old iron, it was ok. Throw a driver in it, and Katy-bar-the-door, things went to pot in a hurry.

It all depends if the business you want to have is to keep the freight you have moving and the truck running flat out and producing revenue, or if you are a gear head that is more interested in how cheap per mile you can run by spending a significant portion of your working time working on the truck instead of the truck working.