Need advice on buying trucks

You want to get 50 trucks with Merc engines that also have small sleepers and are less than five years old. They're around, but tough to find in the USA.

Staying with Cat or Cummins power may or may not be a bad move. It should be easy to find parts and service for Cat and Cummins engines in Western Europe. Eastern Europe? That's a stretch. That's where your problem lies.

Maybe you should look into Scania or MAN rigs in Western Europe. I don't know which engine a Scania or a MAN comes with, but I assume you can get one (or 50) with a Mercedes Engine.

Good luck.

 

I guess I should make one more assumption: You're NOT limited by certain budget constraints. In other words, you're not looking for the cheapest truck you can find. Obviously this is true, or you wouldn't be putting a limit on age. Newer trucks are gonna cost you, as you know. A 2005 Freightliner with 350,000 miles on it will be more expensive than a 2000 Freightliner with the same miles. The only difference is one has depreciated more than the other.

I've driven Volvo rigs, and they're nice. Some of those were/are offered with the merc engine. However, the earlier Volvo models were plagued with front suspension problems. I believe a bolt having the wrong size was used in the assembly somewhere. Newers Volvos don't have this problem.

I can't tell you much about Selectrucks. I know it's Freightliner's way of selling Freightliner trucks that trucking company fleets have traded in for newer models under contract. A trucking company will trade in a truck when it gets about 350,000 miles on it, as the rig is still under its 500,000-mile warranty and thus still has some trade value. Lots of those trucks are out there, and the Freightliners are handled through Selectrucks. Some of these, maybe even MOST, are trucks that were only leased by the companies--the companies didn't buy them.

 

I personally like a Volvo.

 

I know you can get Freightliner Colombias with Mercedes engines,The ones they have where I work have double bunk sleepers and I don't know what the wheelbase is on them.Probably larger than you want to run in Europe but it's a thought.I only drive Internationals so I don't know much about the Freightliners.

 

I don't know what your particular requirements are and what kind of drivers you will be putting in these trucks but if you are using European drivers in these trucks you must realize you are going to have to retrain about half of the drivers you put in them. Most European drivers are used to Mercedes and iveco and scania and the likes that have European transmissions in them which are fully synchronized and the American transmissions are not synchronized at all. We had this problem over here in Iraq the European drivers were fine in the European truck but some of the company's bought a bunch of old JB hunt and old Crete trucks and with in a month half of them were down with trans problems because they didn't know how to shift them. Just a thought on your task.

 

belanova04,

The guys around here know me for buying CHEAP, CHEAP trucks and running them till the wheel's fall off. AKA:Freightliner Buyer!!

Freightliner's are CHEAPER trucks that do the JOB just the same as the others.
Their Parts are cheaper too when it comes to Misc components.

The reason's O/Os go for the ( select Truck Deals ) are the LOW MONEYS down and the WARRANTY plans, and loan setup of freightliner.
If you where going to purchase 3 - 5 SELECT TRUCKS im sure the dealer would GLADLY almost give you a 6th one FREE!

The select truck is a program through Freightliner NOT the dealer. The dealers have the option of adhearing to the SELECT truck program of Freightliner.
On top of Warranty coverage, new tires, new brakes, new batteries, new this and new that... The Owner Op's also get a start your business program issued in the deal. AKA: DRIVE YOUR BUSINESS, by freightliner.

I dont really see anything wrong with the ( Driver Your Business ) program at all. I just fall out of that catagory because I've allready been in business. But IF I was a new carrier or going into the Industry blind? I would be calling 2 main businesses.
#1: OOIDA
#2: Select Truck

I though, choose to buy $3,000 - $15,000 dollar trucks and Run them till they PUKE! If I get a good 6 months to a YEAR from a 8K truck? Im in GOOD SHAPE!

All the best,
Matt

HAD to get my 2Cents in! Sorry...