Looking to become an owner operator....Need detailed advice as far as truck goes...

Buy the biggest shiny fuel drinking truck you can find. Might was well look good while going broke!

 

As far as the poster saying he doesn't know this field of work, he says hes driven before. He might just have been one of those Assembly line Company drivers that's trying.

 

Different hood, grill, and cheaper dashboard gauges. Columbias are basically a stripped down Century.

The FLD came out in 1988 if I remember right. That's what I meant by "dinosaur," old technology. Heck they have analog odometers that only have six digits so if you buy a used one you don't know if it has 200,000 miles or 1,200,000

 

The ONLY difference between a Columbia and a century is the cut out for the headlights. The hood on one can be unbolted from one and bolted on the other. Also all interior differences, such as dash, seats, door panels, etc, are nothing but what trim level was ordered by the initial buyer. The can and sleeper itself is the same. Same doors. And as everyone knows, or should know, the engine and driveline has nothing to do with model or even make of a truck.

 

So how come I have never seen a Columbia with any other gauges than these?


And all Centurys I have ever seen had these:

 

Maybe you have only seen big fleet trade ins? I don't know why you haven't seen a different gauge package in a Columbia
Have you ever specced a new truck? It's not like buying a car where you pick from what's on the dealer lot. They build it to your specs, with what earns, tranny, and engine you want. Along with whatever interior setup you want, including what style gauges.
Look at those pictures again, you will see how the only difference is the dash panel above the steering wheel. Even the top of the dash with the air vents is the same. That center dash panel will unscrew from one and screw into the other.

 

The Columbia can come with either dash, the FL50,60,70, and 80s and school buses had the upper cheap cluster as well, if you ordered something other than bottom basic then you got the lower picture cluster.

 

you want the best advice ?

Buy a glider kit with a pre egr detroit in a T800 with a mid roof or a aerodynamic truck... forget the hood.
If I have to explain why I suggest a aerodynamic truck, then your not about making money and not ready to become a 1st time O/O