9400i Mack vision or pete386 HELP

90% of my 1.6 million miles has been in Mack's, first a '00 CH with a 56" high rise, then an '09 CXU with a 48" flat top, currently a '14 CXU with a 48" flat top. As ezrider has said, with Mack's, some parts of the country are better for support than others. It's funny, but even our Mack salesman said the same thing a number of years ago, they have a better following, and better dealer network E. of the Miss, and particularly in the N.E.. My company currently runs only Mack's, and has for the last 15 yrs, although we did have three Columbia's for a number of years. Avoid the Columbia's with the MB engines, prone to problems.

The biggest years of Macks to avoid would probably be '03 to '05/'06, when they were first hitting were the emissions motors, they had a lot of EGR issues, by '07 that seems to have been solved. My '09 CXU had the MP8 Mack engine, Eaton 10spd Autoshift, and Meritor axles, 578K on it when they sold it off back in March. In the first three years, we had some minor issues with the DPF. I think twice in that time we had to have the overhead adjusted to keep the jakes working correctly, first time was at around 75K (there was also a recall or something at the time related to the cam), and then again right around 300K. When they are adjust correctly, you and the windshield may become very good friends if your not belted in and bobtail or empty. While the CH was a little noisy, that CXU was very quiet, due to the emissions equipment heat, the floor is 3" thick of padding and material. My current '14 CXU with the Mack M-drive push button trans is even quieter (once they solve the wind noise problem). The newer Macks, if you could swing it, and get an all Mack driveline, have their new rear suspension, doesn't matter if loaded or empty, that thing rides like a car it's so smooth.

 

I think as time goes by new trucks are getting better and better but really I don't care for them either. You could get a "brand new" rolling glider. If you have good credit and a decent down payment. I was in your shoes a few years ago and wish that's what I would have done. But like I said hindsight is always 20/20. When I started I figured failure was a distinct possibility and so a paid for cheap used truck made perfect sense. And so later on when I figured out the game i'm now certain I can survive no matter what goes on out here. And looking back I had a lot of BS stuff break and downtime with my old truck. Yeah it's a good truck and always got me home. Maybe BS is too strong a description. They all get older and they all eat revenue when they do. For this being new I understand that seems like too much to take on, I get that. I wouldn't rag on you whatever you decide to do. I know their are some guys who claim to have low maintenance costs with older trucks but I just don't believe it. You're giving away time and losing out on potential income even if you do 100% of the maintenance yourself. I like to deal with larger maintenance issues myself when freight is slow but many times you see things that need attention when it's busy. It happens. Just saying. Talk to some of these guys who bought rolling gliders from Fitzgerald or Harrison'so in the first few hundred thousand miles what sort of downtime per year then ask someone like me with a 12 year old truck.

 

I tried to tell him but it his choice. Like coal said you would be money ahead buying new glider. You just don't understand how down time will kill you faster than a truck payment ever will. My glider is 18 months and 122000 with NO repairs getting 7.2 mpg and NO down time. I have never made so much money because I have NO down time. Like others have said 5000 grand down payment keep your money in the bank for fuel insurance and start up money. Just think 3 days breakdown= 2000 dollars lost. I got two friends that are new O/O that bought new gliders they are so happy with their decision it just been a year and they to are totally trouble free.

 

i respect roling's opinion's but i look at it a little differently. i have pretty limited experiance with new trucks but in 2012 i did drive a bran new pete 389 right off the show room floor. every month is was in the shop for check engine light problems and other problems. the truck set up ready to roll (heavy spec pusher axle wet kit ect) was 150k my mack was 18k with only 100k on a inframe done at a mack dealer. put a bit under 10k into it after putting a pusher on going threw the truck fixing some little problems setting some stuff up how i wanted it ect. so even if you round up and say i have 28-30k into my truck that is still 120k savings over a new truck without the emissions headaches and wear parts like breaks and tires and other things like that are not covered and still get wear on a new truck. i have very little unplanned down time. i keep a eye on my equipment and replace things myself at the first signs of wear when i am at home. i could go ahead and put a fresh paint job on it rebuild all the suspension throw a reman trans and rears in it and still be money ahead on a new truck.

the tricky part is good pre egr or ever pre dpf trucks are getting harder and harder to find good ones that have been kept up and not used up run into the ground

also a truck is a depriatable asset repairs are 100% deductible.

 

I just think cycling into new every few years is the best way to do it. If done right you could end up in a paid for unit by the 3rd truck right off the dealer lot. If I had it to do over again and was starting 6 years ago i'd have put $30,000 down on a rolling glider and already be in truck # 2 by now. The way it is with what i've spent on my truck in the past 6 years would have likely paid for a glider. And there were a lot of headaches along the way. Basically I guess you could say I bought a money pit. That's what you can realistically expect from a truck with 750,000+ miles on it. It has stretches where it does well but the big picture is ugly. Especially a couple of years ago when I had to get it inframed. It would be nice to have a unit that could be parked on the weekend and didn't always seem to need something. If doing pm's and tires was all I ever had to bother with that would be great. To me the long term costs would be well worth the headaches saved and for many I think would probably be close to a wash anyways. Just my O.

 

Guess you guy's will not understand the cost of downtime. I bought 2006 volvo cummins power in 2009 with 345000 on it for 45000 payment of 1022 a month for five years. My repairs average 15000 to 20000 a year do you understand a turbo here water pump alternator and on and on the list goes. Coal you are right I have over 70k in the bank my new glider will be here July 4. This truck will be 20 months old I'm going to keep flipping them every 24 months let someone else do the fixing. Why do you think all the mega carrier flip trucks at 3 years or 300000 miles they know repairs kill profits. You will never make money in the shop. My payment is 2043 two days work the rest of month is money in the bank.