A few more questions.

Passoverlamb5 · May 22, 2026 at 3:40 PM

Big Road Skateboard said: ↑

I'd listen to @rollin coal first, but to answer your question.

Neither, I'm a Detroit guy, they are cheap to fix and parts are easy to find. But, they don't have longevity. If you drive the hell out of it like I do, you're gonna work on it quite a bit.

N14, just no. Parts are hard to find, constant injector issues. But, easy to work on overall.

Cat is where it's at, all else being equal. Parts are more expensive, but easy to find. Slightly harder to work on than the other two, but still not hard. Longevity is much better than both that you mentioned.

Fuel mileage between all will be about the same stock. This depends on where you drive too. If you drive it hard, the Cat might get a little better than the other two, if you drive them easy, the Detroit or Cummins might have a slight edge. Not enough difference to matter.

Resale will be faster and higher $$ on a Cat powered truck, and slowest and cheapest with the Cummins.

There's a hell of a lot more to a truck than just the engine though. Lots of clapped out late 90's Freightliners out there, so don't just look at the shiny parts.

If I see a 1k$ steering wheel, 2k$ seat, neon lights inside, and chome on all the switches, but it needs brakes and tires, you know they valued looks over mechanical. I'd stay away.

You really need experienced eyes to look at a truck.
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this is good advice. I have not looked into cat because I thought they were much more expensive to work on if I put it in a shop. I am trying to think ahead of how best to get through my first year and keeping shop bills as low as possible is a huge priority to me.

Passoverlamb5 · May 22, 2026 at 3:46 PM

201 said: ↑

Mazel Tov, kiss the money goodbye. I (we) understand fully where you are coming from. Mirrors us in many ways, however, that was then, this is now, and I've been involved in trucking for 40 years, and most of us here will say this is the worst time to buy anything, and used trucks are the epitome of fleecing drivers. Since new trucks are way out of line for most, everybody is jumping on the used truck scene. That part is okay, but repairs approaching $200/hr., some things you just won't be able to do. Insurance. What the mechanics don't get, the insurance vultures will. Taxes, FUEL? How can you absorb $6+/gallon? I paid .79 cents with about the same mpg. The trucks themselves don't do much for me either, used iron and you'll never get ahead. Nickel and dime you, they will. If you are that set to go for it, I'd go a KWhopper, for resale, and the biggest CAT motor I could find. Generally KW is a respected make and O/Os that had them took good care of them. A Volvo or FL, not so much. So many GREAT company jobs, one of my former employers offering a transport driver, $28.50 to start, AND union benefits and can't find anyone. I don't know man, like marriage, we didn't listen either, but the big difference was, when we bought trucks, there wasn't so much to lose, AND we didn't have the luxury of a site like this to tell us what to expect. So we lost our shirts and got company jobs and lived happily ever after.. Please rethink this, eh? Remember, a mishap could hassle you for the rest of your life.
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I have an interesting situation, I have two kids and a wife.and I’m full time in school and I need off at random times during the year because of religious observances and finals and family stuff. I’ve been driving for 4 years and have never found a job that fits that. I have a decent job now on time off but the trade off is I am not making as much money as I’d like.

Fuel, it is what it is. I ran the numbers, including maintenance, fuel, taxes, and insurance and should still take home 2000-2500 a week. I know that’s nothing compared to what it used to be but I’m a two time convicted felon for selling lots of drugs in my early 20’s and trucking is among my best opportunities still. Plus I don’t think fuel will stay this high, it won’t go back down to 3.50 but it should get into the 4’s after this Iran deal.

Passoverlamb5 · May 22, 2026 at 3:57 PM

Grumppy said: ↑

I think we all like to see people advance and move up in the world. Becoming and O/O comes with pride. We get it, but this industry is getting harder and harder. We dont want to sound negative but things in this industry is hard. Even harder for someone just getting in these days.

I give you credit... a lot of credit for listening to us and waiting before jumping in. Most dont hear what they want to hear and move ahead with thier plans. Most fail. I just want you to understand the risks, be prepared, move up and survive in this industry.
Ok, so you have money enough to buy a truck but how much will you have in the bank after that? You need to pay the bills, fix the truck, pay yourself, buy fuel for at least 2 months before you ever get a check for payment on your 1st load. Breakdowns, wrecker bill etc. I'm not saying these things will happen, but we know some things will happen. You still gotta get paid, insurance every month. If you're down, you still gotta have the money to pay the bills until you get back on the road. We know those things will happen. If you dont have enough revenue to pay all these bills and repairs for 6 months in the bank, you aint ready. It aint always gonna go as planned. In reality, things are gonna go bad regularly, especially until you get your feet under you in the 1st 2 years. You cant just sit down with paper and pencil and figure the money coming in... all the good stuff... the normal stuff. You gotta figure in all the unexpected trouble that comes with it. 'cause I can promise you, its gonna show up, and you're gonna have to face these troubling times and issues.

This is a hard industry. The people that have made it didnt get there riding a rainbow. Most have been in this industry a long time. They got in it when it was less problematic & less regulated. Some got lucky. But it aint like it used to be.

I want to see you get your own truck and become successful but it aint easy and you need a lot of money in the back to get started these days. Dont forget to add in the tough times in your business plans. Dont just note the good times and the normal stuff. This industry is far from normal. I'm just saying plan carefully and make sure you have enough money for anything that comes along. Once you're in, on the road and running.... look at your bank account. If there aint 6 months worh of revenue in there, rethink your plan.
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it all depends on if I go to Landstar or Mercer or go with my own authority. You need less money getting started with Landstar because you can rent a trailer, no factoring fee, and fuel is on a fuel card.

after everything is bought I should have 15-20k in the bank. I do plan on factoring the first year and then when maintenance fund hits 50k get off of factoring. If I go with own authority I’ll need to save for another 6 months but with Landstar I just need a truck and maintenance.

thank you for the advice, I actually think on what you all say here and implement what is best for my family.

Passoverlamb5 · May 22, 2026 at 3:58 PM

abyliks said: ↑

I’ve owned a 97 w900 with a n14 for 10 years, it was really nice not having a payment when I started out, now I have 52 weeks worth of work and I am just straight over all of it, flying out June 4th to pick my new truck up.

I spent my first non payment money on my new reefer last week to that is 13 months old… I had to add a quart of oil to it

oh 2 herniated discs after years of working on old stuff was also a driving lesson, and mechanically inclined doesn’t mean anything when you are in the middle of no where with no cell service and no parts…
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I hear what your saying, but being able to work on my truck for a good amount of the work will add multiple tens of thousands to the bottom line per year.

Passoverlamb5 · May 22, 2026 at 3:59 PM

Spyro2112 said: ↑

AMMF, Landstar cut rates, herd mercer is going dry van,
I bought a 07 freghtshaker pump 11 gs, ran it a year and a half, no issues. Detroit 60, should not have sold it.....
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I am definitely leaning towards the 60, but now am also researching cat based on opinions here.

Diesel Dave · May 22, 2026 at 4:11 PM

Passoverlamb5 said: ↑

I have an interesting situation, I have two kids and a wife.and I’m full time in school and I need off at random times during the year because of religious observances and finals and family stuff. I’ve been driving for 4 years and have never found a job that fits that. I have a decent job now on time off but the trade off is I am not making as much money as I’d like.

Fuel, it is what it is. I ran the numbers, including maintenance, fuel, taxes, and insurance and should still take home 2000-2500 a week. I know that’s nothing compared to what it used to be but I’m a two time convicted felon for selling lots of drugs in my early 20’s and trucking is among my best opportunities still. Plus I don’t think fuel will stay this high, it won’t go back down to 3.50 but it should get into the 4’s after this Iran deal.
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Are you going to be GUARANTEED that amount ? After doing all your numbers, I would think you would be smarter NOT to go the O/O route. I’ve been in it since 1980, and back then deregulation had just kicked in, everyone was telling me not to go independent, I didn’t listen, and here I am decades later encouraging individuals that want to go that route NOT too. Fuel was around .80 a gallon, insurance $1500 for the year. Today…… forgot about it. Goodluck

Passoverlamb5 · May 22, 2026 at 4:43 PM

Diesel Dave said: ↑

Are you going to be GUARANTEED that amount ? After doing all your numbers, I would think you would be smarter NOT to go the O/O route. I’ve been in it since 1980, and back then deregulation had just kicked in, everyone was telling me not to go independent, I didn’t listen, and here I am decades later encouraging individuals that want to go that route NOT too. Fuel was around .80 a gallon, insurance $1500 for the year. Today…… forgot about it. Goodluck
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Definitely not guaranteed that amount, nothing in trucking is guaranteed, not even company driving. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a hotel for breakdown making $100 a day. Coca Cola in San Antonio took 11 hours to unload me on Monday and messed up all of my dedicated pick ups and deliveries, only made 900 miles this week because of it.

I should have clarified, but I only plan on running my own truck for 4 years. I have two years left on my bachelors and two on my masters and then I’m out of trucking for good. Because of that, trucking is my best avenue.

also, me and my wife are debt free. We have 1700$ in overhead a month and my wife pays all of the bills on her own. My checks are free to be invested and put up for the business.

Ridgeline · May 22, 2026 at 4:51 PM

Pre def engine rebuild will cost me 15-20k
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You think it would but sometime people miss the downtime involved, which is lost revenue.

Passoverlamb5 said: ↑

I have an interesting situation, I have two kids and a wife.and I’m full time in school and I need off at random times during the year because of religious observances and finals and family stuff.
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Nothing interesting about it, what you don't seem to get is while this is a great means to make money if it is done right, there is a huge liability involved today, you get into ONE accident, you can put everything you own on the line.

If I was going to advise someone to do it, do it with a newer truck, don't buy someone else worn out POS junk truck and beleive me there are a lot of them out there.

abyliks · May 22, 2026 at 6:02 PM

Sounds great go for it

Sons Hero · May 22, 2026 at 8:15 PM

Passoverlamb5 said: ↑

this is good advice. I have not looked into cat because I thought they were much more expensive to work on if I put it in a shop. I am trying to think ahead of how best to get through my first year and keeping shop bills as low as possible is a huge priority to me.
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I vote CAT hands down. Parts available everywhere. The one I had was a great motor. It pulled like a horse, smoked like a chimney, but got 6.2 mile per gallon pulling a reefer Personally , I wouldn’t touch a Detroit. That is in part because there isn’t a mechanic within reasonable driving distance of me that will either. Dad has one Detroit that’s a boat anchor, my brother has one that has treated him decent. N14 is a solid motor, but keep a few spare injectors around, that’s their weak spot. My dad‘s one truck has 1.7 million on an N14 red top, overhauled once. Excellent motor I’d run it anywhere. As far as expensive to work on, my brother just had his Detroit overhauled last winter, and he had almost 14,000 more in an overhaul on that thing, than I did on my cat. Very similar work done to both.

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