Pre DEF gliders?

Maintenance cost of a compliant truck alone will out weight the depreciation loss on a glider in my opinion.

 

I'm willing to bet that they're not.

 

The two times I've been towed (emissions issues) the wrecker driver told me how much business was booming, all for emissions issues.

 

How about the numerous emissions codes that pop-up on the dash? The DEF warning light (when the DEF tank is full) etc. I've been towed twice because of emissions issues, I.E. DEF failure, EGR failure. Every tow truck driver tells me the same thing, that these new emissions trucks are "good for their business". In fact, one tow truck business told me that they were buying gliders because the newer trucks are unreliable. Every day I drive one of these newer trucks I'm just glad I don't own it. As I see it, I wouldn't own any truck with an engine stamped post-2003. The problem with today's driver is most of them haven't been in the industry for more than ten years so they don't know what it was like to drive something that didn't have emissions issues. The fleet I work for had one truck we called "the shop queen" because it was in and out almost weekly for emissions issues and yes, it was a dealership that couldn't get it right.

 

Totally agree!

 

But now those pre-'03 trucks are 14+ years old and they aren't getting any younger. The inevitable end result is that as time goes on, well maintained pre-emission trucks are going to become scarce. Give it another 5-10 years and a lot of those older trucks that run everyday are going to need to be completely torn down and rebuilt from the ground up to stay in working condition. Frame rails and diff housings corrode away, air lines rot or deteriorate, wiring becomes brittle and cracks. Is it really worth going through all that time and effort to overhaul a $15k-$25k truck that will always only ever be worth that?

 

Most independent shops have all the software these days. Even I have everything except volvo/mack on my laptop and I could get it if I wanted it

 

So you can diagnose a KW with Paccar engine?

 

I could. The Internet is full of bootlegged software.

 

I know.
Did not think we were allready that far that DAVIE could be replaced.