99 or brand new truck.. e logs coming -thoughts?

Another note on down time..... Closeset kw dealer is 50 miles each way and freightliner dealer is 90. Someone to follow you over and back cost time and money too. Of cource I live in the sticks? I have done most of my repairs in less time than it takes 2 people to go to dealer and back tWo times. Let alone the fuel. They have free parts delivery to my door though.

 

Imagine working like a dog and knowing you need to make $ 150k before breaking even.So if that means 35k a year goes to payments you could of made a morgage on a house in almost any city .I would rather own a home than pay 150k for a futurless job.And watching the truck and trailer u financed for 6 years depreciate while even a ugly house will make equity in six years

 

It all adds up... I was quoted $5,000 just in labor to install a new dash harness on my 9400. I replaced the "engine" harness and injector harness, but that barely covered 1/3 of the underhood wiring.

New seat, new weatherstripping, heater core, ac condensor, charge air cooler, radiator, oil cooler, hoses, new bushings & linkages, new u-joints, steering shaft, powersteering box/pump/lines, alternator, water pump, exhaust manifold, turbo, bullgear, fan clutch, cab bushings, motor mounts, transmission mounts, shifter bushings, new paint job, air compressor, dryer, every air line/valve/fitting, etc.

If you do all the work yourself or can afford to drop the truck off at a shop for a month and come back for a $70,000 bill, it might make sense if you're going to own the truck the next 5+ years. But paying others to do it a little at a time will double that cost...

 

I would only do this job if I do my own wrenching. I may pay someone for an inframe but that's it unless I broken on the side of the road. Even then I would consider having a lowboy come get me if charges were to high. There is not enough margin to work the schedule I want and own a new shinny truck. Buy the way a truck with 300k miles doesent have much of a waranty on it anymore anyway. You will be having work done before that even out of your pocket. Brakes, water leaks, all the emotions crap, wheel seals, shaky mirrors, ac unit, bunk heater and most other stuff out of waranty before 250k miles. Only thing that covered for 500k miles is engine. No turbo, wiring harness, injectors, oil leaks, water pump. At least that's been my experiance with the 2013 KW 680 I was driving before.

 

I hate it when my truck gets all emotional on me....

 

I've been looking into this as well.

As I've mentioned before,.. the current HOS are pretty much impossible for me to operate legally and still sleep and drive the way I am accustomed to operating. So paper logs is pretty much the only way for me.

How ever,.. I did some reading into Elogs and the with carrier/owner ops ability to edit them in the same manner as say paper logs. Being a somewhat technically savvy kind of guy,.. Suddenly,.. I am not so afraid.

I agree,.. ridiculously stupid. Its like leaving a 5 yr old in charge of the cookie jar.

Hurst

 

I guess I should add I got into this buissness for a diffrent reason than most it seems. I wanted to be responsible for my own decisions without someone looking over my shoulder. I also was not going to risk my credit score or my paid off real estate to do this.

I wanted a NO stress environment after 25 years of 24/7 anxiety and sleepless nights managing people. If I had huge payments, mortgaged my property or took money out of retirement for that I would be miserable!

I don't have a #### care in the world other than my families health. I do have some living expences and like some nicer things most people live without but, mostly I need to feel like a productive member of socity. I want to do all those things with the no stress.

So driving and wrenching on old equipment may not be for all?

 

I get to work for good customers when and where i like.No more abusive slow paying cheapskate golddiggin brokers come on....Live free or die! "This country was built by men in denim and ruined my punks in suits."

 

Correct sir.
Just as owning a brand new truck might suit some while it would be the worst thing for others.
Too many variables.

 

I got into it because flipping burgers and a rebellious family got my goat.

No regrets. Mostly....