need advise on buying a truck

Well, let me be the first to say it... Take that $15K and go get some counseling.

But if you're dead set on getting a truck, I'd say you would need that much in the bank AFTER you get your truck. So if that's all the cash on hand I'd either try to save more or figure out how little you can put down and still stay in a payment you can afford. You need to know what your income is going to be. You'll need to figure out how much all your other expenses are going to be (ie. fuel, insurance, taxes, etc.) Then you need to decide if you want something new, used but not too old, or older. Older, higher milage may be a lot cheaper, but you will have many many many more repairs.

There is a lot to think about when buying a truck. And getting a "decent truck" for $15K is a long shot.

 

seriously if you do not have experience in buying a good used truck for the peanuts you have, then you probably don't know how to run a business.

i would suggest that you drive for a number of years then save up MORE money to buy a "better used truck" for MORE money.......

a rig priced that low will need a whole lotta work soon enough.

 

Kenworth with a cummins

 

Heres about what you will be able to buy thats semi decent , old WALMART units were good purchases for a starter truck

http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=2743086&

 

For a starter truck not a bad idea. Drive it till it dies and by that time prob got yer money back and put towards a rig u want.

 

I just bought yesterday, a 1996 pete short hood 379 for 16.000 dollars.. pretty nice truck. has n14 13 speed 370 rear end ratio. 800.000 miles.. new steer tires, 60 percent on the drives, new brakes and drums, alot of people told me buy a truck with warranty. well to get a warranty all ive found would have had to have under 500.000 miles.. so i found some. most were 300.000 to 500.000 miles and would have cost me alot more than 16.000 dollars. and what little warranty i would have had would have been gone fairly Quick.. My plan is to put the amount away i would pay every month for a truck payment and use that money for an overhaul later or maybe upgrade to a newer truck later..

as far as having money saved up for repairs. That is a hard one. most that would buy a truck or figure out a way to buy a truck do it because they have no money and hope to make some.. i had 23000 dollars in my 401k at the mining job i have been working in. I cashed it out and bought the truck i mentioned for 16000 dollars. im broke but will have a paycheck in a week and no truck payment.. and am leasing with a very good small company.. I am not worried.. Except about the crazy new potential laws they are dreaming up..

 

You doing it the right way , many fail as they want a showtruck GLITTERMOBILE to start with on a hillbilly pickup budget.

I started out in an old FORD W series COE , guy I bought it from gave me an HD snowmobile suit , said I would need it and I did.

 

thats the way to do it, the way we all used to buy em. Now days most dont want to save up for one and would rather have a 1200-2000/ month payment

 

Heck for some the STAINLESS / CHROME / STRAIGHT PIPE payments in the $1,500 / $1,800.00 a month range.

read an article few years back 24 year old MAXED out both his and wifes VISA to buy dressup stuff for a worn out FRLR CLASSIC and he was about it.

Read on here not long ago about L/O putting MEGA $ into dressing up a leased truck , then commenting about NO $.