Old Truck vs New Truck

What about fuel costs in old vs new trucks? Most drivers I've talked to with old trucks average 5 mpg. I've "heard" from a couple of new trucks that they are getting 6.5-6.7 mpg. Hopefully someone here can verify that. If its true, the difference between old and new is $18,000/yr savings on fuel. (Based on 100K miles at 3.90/gal) That is a HUGE factor.

 

Yep. What he said. I am running the other way from new trucks. In fact I just hired an experienced driver away from a company that runs new trucks because he was tired of setting on the side of the road in a pretty new broke truck. Last truck I bought I gave 13k cash for it so even if I replace engine tranny and rears I am still way ahead VS buying a new truck. Keep the new trucks and the payments/trouble that goes with them.

 

$18,000 extra a year DONT FORGET PAID FOR TRUCK -PAID FOR MEANS A FEW THINGS DONT JUST FOCUS ON THE MONEY HERES WHAT YOU GET FOR A EXTRA $18,000 U GET A PIECE OF MIND ITS YOURS,ITS PAID FOR,IF YOU GET SICK AND HAVE TO TAKE OFF WORK A WHILE,U DONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT STRESSING YOURSELF TO GET BETTER QUICKER JUST TO MAKE A MONTHLY TRUCK NOTE,YOU TAKE CARE OF IT THE WAY YOU WANT TO,WHEN U WANT TO AND DONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WAITING FOR APPROVAL TO GET THIS OR THAT FIXED,MOST IMPORTANTLY THE TITLE/DEED WHATEVER U WANNA CALL IT...ITS IN YOUR NAME

..NOT A FINANCE COMPANY,OR LEASE COMPANY,U GET PAID AFTER BOL IS SIGNED,48 HOURS AFTER U DROP LOAD u get fuel advanced on the load if you need be.did I mention you OWN the TRUCK!!!!! if u need vacation time you can do that whenever u want.NOT WAITING FOR APPROVAL FROM SUM YUNG SMUCK SITTING BEHIND A DESK.

...IF U RUN YOUR BUSINESS RIGHT...that 18,000 u STRESSING ABOUT U CAN MAKE THAT UP WITH A FEW EXTRA RUNS..THATS JUST MY OPINION.SO ITS ALL HOW ONE LOOKS AT IT...I LOOK AT IT FROM A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW..BUT U F MORE THAN WELCOME TO LOOK AT IT HOWEVER. ALSO ALOT HAS TO DO WITH HOW U RUN YOUR BUSINESS

How FAST U RUN ....yo truck ..MAKES A HUGE DIFFERNCE..U DONT HAVE TO DRIVE 70-75 MPH TO GET A LOAD THERE ON TIME...U CAN PLAN AHEAD PRE PLAN MAKES A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE...U CAN KEEP IT BETWEEN 60-63 MPH AND ALSO SAVE 18,000 ON FUEL...

THATS JUST MY TAKE ONCE AGAIN EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT ---ON HOW THEY RUN THERE BUSINESS--

 

You have a point. Personally I'm undecided still. All things being equal, speed etc., the new truck would save $18k/year on fuel. (If its true) That would be about half of the payments, a significant factor.

 

Lmao...u know EVERYBODY SCREAMING NEW ...NEW...NEW..NEW...TRUCK..NEW TRUCK ...DA OTHER NIGHT I WAS WATCHING ICE ROAD TRUCKERS AND I DONT KNOW IF ITS EDITED LIKE THIS OR NOT IM SPEAKING ALSO FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND THE GIRL I FORGOT HER NAME ..

but she was driving across a LAKE up there n ALASKA...almost halfway cross ...GUESS what happens...her truck cuts off U KNOW WHY...DA got DANM REGEN stopped WORKING...it didn't burn off the extra EXHAUST/BUILD UP like its suppose to/INVENTED/PROGRAMMED TO DO..AND U SAY NEW NEW NEW...Let's look at it this way.

THESE NEW DRIVERS COMING OUT THESE 1DAY TRUCKING MILLS BARELY KNOW WHAT A 45 OR 90 DEGREE BACKING IS..LET ALONE KNOW WHAT A REGEN IS...

So do u REALLY want the NEW ROOKIE PULLING A 80,000 lb load of IRON STRAPPED DOWN WITH CHAINS GOING DOWN A 3% GRADE in the POCONOS,PA AND THE TRUCK CUTS OFF AND THEY DONT KNOW WHAT THE BEEPING IS FOR AND ITS NOT ...LOW AIR PRESSURE....LMAO....

REALLY...really do u want that ....well that's WHAT THE GOOD O GOVERNMENT MANDATED...its easier to get a older truck ..rather than a new one...some PEOPLE WILL ARGUE ME DOWN ABOUT A NEW TRUCK IS WAY BETTER AND THAT MAYBBE TRUE...

but if they ever brought a BRAND NEW TRUCK FROM FREIGHTLINER,INTERNATIONAL,OR MACK...they would know only certaings THINGS are covered by WARRANTY...((((NOT EVERYTHING)))) if I'm gonna pay $90-$150,000 for a BRAND NEW TRUCK FRANKLY I don't give a DANM WHAT GOES WRONG WITH IT MY FAULT OR NOT IT BETTER DANM WELL BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.

.n I don't wanna hear no crap from the sales guy,the owner or the MECHANIC..I want it fixed and fixed RIGHT...THATS ALL IM SAYING

I hate driving a TRUCK AND HAVE TO BREAK IT IN...I LIKE MY TRUCKS ..LIKE I LIKE MY WOMEN
EXPEREINCED,WELL MAINTAINED,DECENT AND CAN GIVE ME WHAT I WANT-WHEN I WANT

 

I think lots want new trucks because they roll out the door nice, new and shiney, and besides the salesman says it's got great warranty. Yep at 2am in the middle of no-where when it craps it's pants and quits, the salesman ain't showing up to fix it. Some of my customers tease me about running old iron but readily admit when it comes to reliability me and my old iron are there every time. And then I get to hear the stories about the big dollar new iron that doesn't show up, not to say there isn't reliable new trucks out there, but dollar for dollar money spent on old iron is better spent.

 

A lot of people forget about the tax implications, but they can have a big effect:

New truck: $150,000
sale price in 5 years/625,000 miles: $65,000
CA sales tax: $12,000
Federal excise tax: $18,000
maintenance cost: 5cpm or $31,250

5 year cost of ownership: $146,250


Used truck: $20,000
sale price in 5 years/625,000 miles: $10,000
CA Sales tax: $1600
Federal Excise tax: $0
maintenance cost: 15cpm or $93,750

5 year cost of ownership: $105,350



Difference: $40,900 ($8,180/year) in favor of the old truck


Of that difference, $30,400 is from taxes

 

Let's talk repair times at the dealership; the shop foreman(s) at my Freightliner dealer have told me they prefer to work on my old iron, it's easier to work on, easier to do diagnostics on, parts are easy to find and they don't have to spend time doing warranty related paperwork and phone calls.....guess who gets out of the shop sooner?? It's a no brainer to me, but you go ahead and buy that nice shiny new piece of iron, you'll have lots of time to shine it up while the mechanics are trying to fix it.

 

What kind of old trucks are we comparing here? If it's an old aerodynamic like a 1997 Freightliner Century of a 2000 KW T2000 I doubt that difference is significant. You could buy a 2015 Pete 389 and get 5 mpg or one of the fore mentioned models which get 6 or 7 mpg.

 

I have to say the fuel mileage difference is highly exagerated. My Pete 379 with Cat 3406E has averaged 6.0mpg overall doing flatbed general freight driving 60mph on average.. When I drove aerodynamic, company neutered trucks I averaged 6.0 - 6.5 overall driving 65mph overall.The 5 mpg claim would require driving a Pete 379 at 70mph on average. The reliability problems and chronic shop costs and downtime with a new truck are not made up by an $18000 fuel savings.A new glider or a complete recondition of 1998-2001 would be my choice. And there are aero models in those years.