Paid off

Congrats on the payoff. I have a last payment myself going out next month. It's a good feeling.

I'll just echo what a few others have more or less said. If you're happy with it, keep on truckin, doing what you're doing. That right there is worth more than willingly going through the 6-12 month exercise you will always face with a new to you and unknown truck.

Same way with the choices, like your quote. I now have one of each. A Freightliner with a green 12.7 and KW with a cat. The green one usually gets 1/2 mpg better. The KW with the yellow motor doesn't break as often, but costs more to fix when it does. Dead chickens and produce can't tell the difference. The bank never asks what truck did it when I deposit checks.

 

Congrats. I'd keep it unless your not happy with the spec. Running trucks into the higher miles gets you married to them. Find a truck you really enjoy and paying the bills to keep it up isn't so bad.

If I bought another truck I'd have every spec I wanted or I wouldn't buy. I'd also have the dedicated freight negotiated before buying as well. Buying the truck is easy, keeping it loaded with profitable freight is the real challenge.

 

Got what I wanted. Paid $19 sold for $20. I put a little money into it, maybe another $4k, but was making money with every new part installed. I can't complain. I learned a ton and for the most part enjoyed it. Just feels better to punch in and punch out.

 

I'd be tempted to just go new on a dry van. They can be had pretty reasonable. Save up a nice down payment, take a 2 year note on the rest of it and it shouldn't give you any mechanical trouble for a long long time. Somebody that posts here bought a new Great Dane for like $28k iirc.

 

Plenty of good shape barely used trailers out there for sale from all the people going out of business right now. No sense in buying new.

@Starboyjim how much is your company keeping you running for? Per mile after they take their cut?

 

Definitely room for improvement on the pay. But these are rough times right now and if they are keeping you running decent number of miles I would stick it out for now. I can see things improving some time after the election most likely. Maybe then look into leasing on somewhere that will keep you over $2/mi for all miles

 

Thanks. Next month will be the fourth time making a final payment LOL. I'm at the point now that I will probably not replace these two trucks until the frames rot out from under them. But I'll probably put it in a frame shop anyway. Then rent a two year old truck from MHC or Penske while it's in there, just to remind myself why I should never ever buy one.

The only reason the market is so high on 3-4 yr old trucks is the more reliable DEF emissions systems and people that need to drive them in California. Since it's more than a legal two day drive, I only travel there on Delta and don't need a late model truck for that trip.