Buying First Truck

When it comes down to it when you have an issue with one of these big trucks it is going to be expensive. Volvo parts and service issue are one of the real past issues that seems to hang around. Biggest issue with the 04-06 D12 was the EGR. Before I bought mine I talked to a lot of people including some small fleets with 50-100 D12's. They never heard what Volvo did to change the EGR but the issue of getting 100-200K then replacing has been addressed. Price is still an issue.
Two other issues: Injectors and electronics. Volvo has acknowledged they had a design/manufacturing issue on some of the injectors. If it was a car you would have had a recall. But that doesn't seem to happen in the trucking industry. Better dealers would replace under warranty whenever a customer came in.
Electronics - depending on who you talk to it was a bad batch of ECMs or connectors not being installed properly. I tend to believe that it had to do with all the connectors and difficulty level on the installation. Way over engineered to eliminate the problems they ended up with. I say it is connectors because I have known people to get control modules replaced that still had issues.
A non-design issue was the lack of availability of parts and qualified service centers. This helped/hurt spread the legendary issues with the D12. As an example. My '06 Century with D60 had the starter replaced twice, in shop 13 times with issues between ignition and starter including twice having every bit of wiring that was related to ignition replaced - all between 100K and 200k miles. Problems with starters on these trucks manufactured between 05 and 06 is massive. But the difference is I was able to get to a TA or Petro and parts and service was available.
So while with all my issue in the Century I spent 14 nights in hotel room. I know guys back then that would do that with just two repairs with the Volvo. Makes for a better story.
Now had when I stopped into the 7 different TA's and Petro's asking how long to get an EGR for D12 and heard days instead of "in stock" and "tomorrow" I would have thought twice. Or had when I talked to service managers at trucking companies that run D12's say that the EGR, injectors and electrical are still issues then I would have look in a different direction.
Now none of this is any help to someone that is dealing with the back-to-back big, truck issues.

 

I have to say that I was underwhelmed with the 387. This was my dream truck until I started to drive them. But I have to be honest I had driven the 780 to test a transmission before I drove 500 mile to look at the 387 with the same transmission. Then I drove a local 387 and it was night and day in terms of drive and I liked the interior of the 780. Now compared to a 670 I would go with a 387 in a heartbeat. But we are looking at different classes of trucks.

 

Hey if you can't handle the truth and the answers then don't ask the questions. Better grow some thicker skin if you think you'll survive this industry especially as an O/O!

Hey he's a typical 2 yr wonder what do ya expect.

You kids these days! Someone gives you good advice and you go and get all pissed off instead of trying to learn from others experiences.

And here we go right on que. You didn't hear what you wanted so you have to call names. Tinme for you to go back to kindergarten little boy.

You want a Volvo? Buy one with a cummins. Buy a Volvo motor and you will be sorry. Biggest problem with Volvo motor other than it's junk is the service network. There ain't one. At least with a cummins you can get motor work done almost anywhere.

 

the 387 is junk too




the only volvo I would consider owning

 

hmm so he ran a volvo roe over a year--on another thread heas a columbia--and then on another he wants to lease a truck from schnieder---at this rate--by the time he is 30 he will own swift and crete

 

Hell from the way he talked I thought he already did!

 

You spend way too much time on here.....get back to driving #### it! LOL

 

I think the only way I would take a Volvo would be if it had an ISX in it. a 780 at least.
The Volvo engines are good, but the maintenance is different, things are not easily accessible, and then you usually need a Volvo tech to work on it.

Seems like people have a lot of breakdown issues costing large $, why not buy new?
Or if you want to get in the game, as an O/O, rent a tri with a sleeper. Buying used seems to be such a gamble.

 

"such as the bumber and visor i want" where is the BUMBER on a Volvo ?

 

Why do you still own this truck if its such a piece?