Post #2 -- Feedback about glider & first time truck buy

Buy a manual transmission for your first truck. A lot less moving parts that are controlled by yet another wire loom and another computer. A simple truck doesent require as much shop time. Same reason you are trying to avoid the emissions stuff.

I looked at a 15 fitz freigtliner glider earlier this year with only 40k miles. Was listed for $89,000.00. Fitz doesent cover a second owner on there waranty so I passed. That truck sold new for about $125k is my guess?

Read up on the difference between a Fitz built engine compared to an actual Detroit reman engine. You could order either in a fitz built truck. Whatcha dose that one have?

 

I think 81k is too high for a 4 year old truck. 60 maybe 70

 

If the engine on that Glider was manufactured before 1999 i bet the seller will hold firm on the price.. If i was to buy a glider it MUST have a pre 1999 engine.

 

Any way you cut it you need plenty of start up cash to have a chance. If you buy newer say a $100,000 truck you will need a decent down payment and the idea is the risk of breakdown is lower. The trade off if you now have a good size payment every month, regardless of what your gross revenue is.
An older truck with lots of miles and more character to it that you can pay cash for but it will need repairs simply due to it's age and mileage, the trade off here is you have no monthly check to cut if you have a slow month you are more likely to weather the storm so to speak. You will spend more in the shop, but it's often still less than that monthly payment. If you have extra cash of say 25k plus a paid for truck in your name plus an extra 25k available to you say in the form of a line of credit, you can draw on these resources if the unthinkable happens and your engine decides to show you a cut away version of the block. It's rare but it happens. Now you got to decide to cut your losses or buy a new engine or truck. The flip side, you buy an older truck, you have no major issues, yes you slowly rebuild it one piece at a time, you use this truck for a few years and now you've got the business side down and you see how the money flows and coordinating profitable loads and put it all together successfully .... You will feel much more confident when you walk into the large car dealer and get your brand new hood. You will have it all put together and even a 3500 monthly payment doesn't phase you because you and your business and your bank account are all ready. Pay it off in 4 or 5 years and keep it forever. Welcome to 3 days a week.

 

@hiwaysteward there is a 2016 glider that was just posted in the classified section here today. Look it up.

 

There are threads on here with photos of a lot of the fitz remanned 60's that went KAFLOOY with very little use do to ultra cheap bearings and other components. A factory remmanned 60 from DD, sure all day long as long as its been maintained.

$80G's??? Your getting up there. Last year in November / December you could get a brand new Cascadia with an ISX for $110K with a monster warranty.

 

Well I don't agree with that quote, it is made out of ignorance. You don't concern with what condition it is in?

It doesn't matter what you want, it matter if you do your due diligence and mitigate the risks involved with breakdowns. You start with the normal path of having any and ALL of the trucks you find that fits your needs with the same exact thing done. Then negotiate that price down to a reasonable price and put the money into the right place to bring it up to road ready.

And just because it is "well taken care of", don't ever take anyone's word for it, check it out, go though the records and see for yourself and always do it doubt.

Remember a truck is a tool, it is not a wife or a dog but a tool, never get emotionally attached to something you don't own and do your due diligence so you can make money with it as much as you can,