Looking to buy a truck need some help

Don't buy a Cat engine and stay away from Sterling trucks. Come 2014, CARB standards are going into
Effect so keep that in mind when you purchase.

 

Some guys don't like the post-'01 CAT ACCERT emission systems.... ask the guys who own them how they are doing. Most are doing well.

Sterlings are cheap fleet spec'd trucks that are worth half of what most dealers are asking.

Arrow prices their stuff way too high. they are owned by Volvo so they push the Volvo brand. Shop at www.truckpaper.com ....get some ideas of what trucks sell for in your area... CA is always the highest prices BTW.

2014 is a long way off... if you find a good price on a 2007 truck it will probably be replaced in three years anyway so save the $$$ now if you can.

Find someone who is knowledgeable about trucks to help you find the right truck... with all due respect, having a rookie like you looking at equipment is like me trying to buy a 747...

 

The Detroit Series 60 Motors will be around a long time to come and they are _VERY_ reliable.

Word is that CAT is pulling out of truck engines soon, so I wouldn't touch one. They eat up diesel like no one's business as well, on any grade.

Don't buy a Mercedes or Volvo motor either. They are a costly adventure in mechanical breakdowns, IMO.

 

The Cummins is a good solid motor. I'd pick that, or even better, a Detroit.

 

One thing to pay very close attention to is the year of the engine. Just because a truck is a 2007 dont mean the engine is. It could be as much as three years older. Most 2007s will have 05 or 06 engines and thats what matters when it comes to emission standards. You can find 07 engines in 07 trucks but they were built at the end of the 07 production run. Year of the truck dont matter, year of the engine dose. Buy an 08 and you know it will pass. They all had the DPFs (Diesel Partical Filter).
The reason two truck with like specs were 12K difference in price was probably mileage. High milage will drop the price fast. Dont buy a high milage truck if you plan on keeping it for a while. You want the truck paid for before it wares out. A truck is pretty much wore out by 800K. Figure out how many miles they will run a year and how long you will pay for them. I would try to stay under 350K. Stay away from the auto transmissions. They cost a lot of money to fix and they are electronically controlled so eventually something electrical will go bad. A basic 10 speed is what I would look for. If you dont have time or the ability to train a driver stay away from the 13 and 18 speeds. They are great transmissions but a driver that dont know how to use them will tear them up in a hurry. 10 speeds are dummy proof.
Stay away from Volvo engines and Mercedies engines. Neither have very good reputations. Cat are good engines but Cat already quit producing truck engines. The ones that you can still get I dont think will pass the emissions in CA. Detroit and Cummins both make good engines that will pass emissions. You dont need 600 hp but dont buy less than 400hp. A 435 to 485 hp will make for a driving truck and get decent fuel milage.
Check what fifth wheel hight you will need pulling your container trailers. Not all fifth wheel hights are the same. You can get one thats to high for a van trailer or your containers. Make sure the fifth wheel is not wore out. Mke sure its tight on the king pin or will adjust till its tight.
Maby you should take what ever truck you think you want to buy to a second party shop to be checked out before signing the dotted line. Dont buy junk. You should be able to find a basic 08 with 350K or less for about 65K.

 

When buy a used truck what mileage would be a good starting point, without breaking the bank. I found a 07 KW W900B ISX with 724,xxx mile. I feel thats a lil high but maybe I'm wrong, I know it should see a million miles.