Truck questions

As an owner of a 2007 Volvo 780, I suggest if you get a Volvo, make sure you do not get one with a Volvo motor. It's a real pain always having to go to the dealer to get work done on them. And, the Volvo dealers never seem to have the time to work on your truck when your on the road. They always have an excuse as to why they can't get to you for a couple days. Plus, at least in my case, the Volvo (VED-12) motor has two EGR valves on them, and one goes out every year, you can count on it. When it does, make sure you have a few grand to fix it. If I can ever afford to get a new truck, it will be a Fitzgerald glider.
If you're getting a Volvo, get one with a Cummins.

 

I can't agree with this one. The Cummins have had just as many EGR problems as the VED12. I have owned both and I have worked on both. Basically the bottom line is every truck manf. and engine manf. has there goof ups and constant problem areas. Yes Volvos are indeed expensive to work on because of parts costs and availability and even more cost in repair if you can't work on it yourself which as an O/O I think is required/a necessity. There are many blogs on here for you to read that informs you of all truck/eng common problems. Just gotta do the research.

 

Don't overlook an Int'l with a CAT if the price is good and it has a recent inframe. But only if the inframe has papers otherwise it never happened. Regardless what people think they can get good fuel mileage if driven and maintained right. And they don't break. ISX parts are just as pricey. Detroit is lowest cost there.

 

My choice is the binder or Volvo. A 9900 with a cat will last you a while and be a good truck. They have lots of space and can get good mpg if you care about that. A Volvo has a good ride and space. However, if you get a Volvo, get it with an ISX, but definitely not a d16.that motor has so many issues that people were considering a class action against Volvo. But, if I might ask, why not a kenworth. For the price of those binders or Volvos, you can get a t600 or t2000.

 

If a truck has a history of emission problems it will have a future with emission problems.

 

Dannythetrucker has a nice, older Int'l posted in the classifieds. I'd give it a hard look if I was in the market for another truck.

 

We had 4 '07 and 1 '06 Volvo 780s with D12s and auto shifts. We had EGRs go bad (replace both when it happens, it saves on labor if you're paying to have it done), EGR coolers (find a good welder and have it repaired versus new) and other misc. stuff. Seems if you get a good one, it'll have minor things. If you get a bad one, the list never ends but that was probably more due to drivers.

We didn't have but heard nothing but bad about the D13 and D16 motors. By now, most of the injector cups would be replaced on motors that old so who knows, maybe the big issues are fixed.

 

I realize there are many drivers who while out on the road thousands of miles from home will stop at a rest area or truck stop, pull out their tools and do repairs such as EGR valves themselves. I've seen it many times. I assume by your statement that you are one of these drivers. If so, more power to you. I chose to get my truck repaired as fast as possible to get my loads delivered and get the next load. I have found that I can make more money that way.
The reason I suggest Cummins is because you can get it fixed at Freightliner, International and thousands of shops around the country that work on Cummins. With a Volvo motor, with very little exception, you have to get the motor fixed at a Volvo dealership. And, if you do chose to fix it yourself, you have to get the motor parts from the Volvo dealership, who never seem to have the part you need when you need it, and you have to wait until the next day to get it delivered to install it.

 

My personal opinion in those years would be Freightliner with a Detroit. I had an 07 and the only major problem I had with the motor was an EGR go bad and jacked up the turbo. They replaced both under warranty (thank goodness I still had about 20,000 miles let on factory warranty). If I had any sense at all I would have kept that truck. Decent fuel mileage, cheap to buy, cheap to operate, parts everywhere, everybody can work on them. I would strongly advise you NOT to get a Volvo living in Houston as the dealer here is not very O/O friendly and getting parts can be a real pain on a Volvo and their dealer network has to be the worst of any major truck manufacturer.