Buying a new truck this week, should i buy new or used?

Good luck Basic!!

You'll do alright I'm sure. Like I said, I've been on my own for fifteen years and I mean on my own, not leased to a company. My own trucks, trailers and accounts and I think as a company driver if you have experience, know you're a good operator, you make money for the company you drive for and have at least a reasonable level of common sense you can do pretty good owning your own truck. I think it is financially beneficial and there is a good feeling with being successful in your venture. That being said there is also a lot of stress and hard work as you never really have "time off" and the stress and worry when you venture out on your own subsides and changes but never goes away. All things being equal, I would not change it for the world if I could do it over again. Good luck!!

 

Wooohoo, number 7 finally reached... now 8, look at me go!!!

 

Im kind of glad I waited to answer your questions about the 2014 ISX. I just pulled it out of the shop in a period of 5 weeks, for the 3rd time.
Let me tell you what the main difference is between my 2013, and my 2014. Sensors. On my 2013, there were less sensors, and at times, too much DEF is being used, and sometimes not enough DEF was being used based on what the sensors were telling them.
Now, it seems a problem goes off every 1000km's on the 2014 related to DEF because there are so many sensors now. This week, I derated.
I've been under a lot of pressure from the company I pull(ed) for, and I have it past tense because they fired me for having unreliable equipment.
I now have a driver who is okay waiting for awhile as he also welds for a living, thankfully, while I've been trying to find a good company to get this truck on with.
I spoke with my dealer yesterday, and stated that I'm so sick and tired of these issues and being the guinnea pig for Cummins that I sure would like to trade em for gliders. He told me he could, but that they were not allowed to service those trucks. Financially, and realistically, I cant trade them yet until they are a year old. I've also been told that I should be fine now that the bugs have been worked out of them.
Really? Cause I've got a truck out of a job, and a driver who isn't working for me.
The 2014 truck is completely all done up in the Platinum package. And it is a drop dead gorgeous truck. However, I seriously will be evaluating if my future purchases will include Cummins. I'll let you know in another 6 months if I'm still experiencing issues. But the bottom line is, i'm not too happy for being known as "unreliable".
I'd like to know what people are experiencing with the latest 2014 Detroit's and Volvo's.

 

That really sucks. It is such a common story as well, I hope they get it figured out very soon. Growing up I used to shake my head at the old farmers that would bulk at all the new technologies, but they were right. Plain Jane with no bells or whistles (Glider) seems like the way to go. Hope you get rolling soon.

 

You want my take on all the new trucks that have that DEF crap you gotta add. Does not matter what emblem you go with that is what they all are there all crap trucks. Only thing there good for is a highway. I had to drive one and I hated it with a passion and it was a Brand new 2013 Peter built.
The whole dash in them things are sinful a guy always seems to have problems there too or at least we sure were. A person would flash up all the lights and the dash would not light up. I sure fixed that problem real fast when I started knocking on the toggle switches and of course a few had to be replaced as they were faulty.
The head lights always were going out on the stupid things. I mean these are brand new trucks too and a guy has to get in and find wiring issues let alone all the other crap that is wrong with them. The one truck I was setting up for the company I was working for had all of 100K on the dial when I jumped in it and for the first two weeks it was hell with that thing.
To say the least I am sorry to hear about your short fall there with being fired. I mean do not feel bad as I had the same thing happen to me as I was not pulling in the numbers that all the other trucks were that were already basically set up by me as well as the mechanics. Since I do know my mechanical field so well I think I was just used as the set up goat and by the sounds of things your DEF sensor needs to be reset as the truck itself is probably using more DEF than fuel.
If that is the case your truck is pumping too much DEF into the engine. A good general rule and guide line that you should see on these trucks is to every tank of fuel you should have at least a little over a quarter of tank of DEF left. That is at least with what we were seeing in our trucks once we had it all dialed in properly.
I hope you get things figured out me myself though from seeing with what I see with these new systems they are there junk and I do not trust them at all.
Oh yeah and by what I hear it is a glitch in the DEF sensors themselves screwing up all the time and the computers in them things that tell it how much DEF it should be using they have a mind of there own so be ready to be pulling that thing in more.
Until something is done about the glitch it is not just you out there with this problem its everyone.

 

Bubsmach,you might want to explain your statement since DEF doesn't go anywhere near the engine.

 

This is one of the reasons why my trucks (Super-B spec 2011 and newer Prostar, ISX 500, etc.) are rented; not purchased, not leased, but rented. In the last two years I have experienced a number of engine-related issues. Never to the point I couldn't complete a run (that happened when I blew up the transmission , but then I had another of my trucks complete the run), but enough down-time to make me an unhappy camper.

 

Your right it does not go directly into the engine but goes via into the exhaust.

[h=1]What is DEF[/h] [h=2]What is Diesel Exhaust Fluid[/h]
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Definition: A specific composition of urea for application in transportation to reduce the amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emitted into the air by diesel engines. DEF is a high purity chemical, comprised of 32.5% urea and 67.5% de-ionized water.

Diesel Exhaust Fluid is produced to an international standard (ISO 22241). In order to meet the 2010 EPA Diesel Emission Standards to reduce the amount of NOx emitted by diesel engines, several engine manufactures employed Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) as an after-treatment technology combined with Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR).

As explained by the American Trucking Association (ATA), “To reduce NOx, a small amount of DEF is injected directly into the exhaust upstream of a catalyst. The DEF vaporizes and decomposes to form ammonia (NH3), which in conjunction with the SCR catalyst, reacts with NOx to convert the pollutant into nitrogen (N2) and water (H2O).”

Thing is too much DEF is also not good either. Just wondering daf105paccar have you been in a truck that has pumped too much DEF in where it mixes. Like have you ever felt one of these trucks slug and sputter away in due to this? Just wondering as I had first hand experience with this and though it does not mix directly into the engine it still has to do with reducing engine emissions. Just worded it wrong. Not trying to call you out either just wondering what your experiences have been.

 

"Thing is too much DEF is also not good either. Just wondering daf105paccar have you been in a truck that has pumped too much DEF in where it mixes. Like have you ever felt one of these trucks slug and sputter away in due to this?"
I can answer to this if its welcome?
Heres what happened. Nothing. You don't know its going on. At least with what I experienced. Amber engine light with wrench on dash.
I only found out when they hooked up their computer.

 

If you want more information on all this new crapnology or oops technology go here: http://www.brenntagdef.com/en/pages...ure_Heavy.pdf#diesel exhaust fluid literature