Buying my own truck, any advice?

Pre 2004 anything in good condition

 

Neither of the Two that you mentioned . I would go Peterbilt or kenworth , because they just hold there value . Second manual transmission, when you start adding computers to a transmission your just asking for problems Third , find a Good mechanic ( that's the hard part) and have him go over the truck you are going to buy, you are going to be in Awww mode and are not going to be focused on what to look for and remember it's ok to leave empty handed . I check king pins , oil levels and color and if they have a problem with this then leave not worth your time nor money . Also you may want to buy the camera the trucks picture was taken with as you will see the truck will not look as pictured in the paper. Good luck

 

@crazy.trucker, there are lots of threads already started on this same subject. You can use the search box above to find more answers. Some will chime in also on here, but you will have more answers/help using the search box. Good luck

 

If you decide to get an older truck, be prepared for what comes with an older truck. A $20k + 'a few extra thousand' budget doesn't go very far.

 

Personal preference, I like Peterbilt myself but have owned both

 

Yes this can be true, but keeping a good maintenance plan and make repairs as soon as you find things is key and you will have less Down Time as a newer unit as they have so many problems on exhaust regent systems and it's also a bit cheaper than new to fix. Payments I don't agree with.

 

It is a tool, pick one that works for you. Learn how the different specs work for different freight.

Do the due diligence on any truck you are going to seriously thinking of buying, which should cost $1000.

Learn how business works, learn what a safety fund is, make sure you have three months of expenses covered.

 

I'm putting a '02 379 back into service after it sat for awhile neglected. It's a labor of love and in the end it'll be worth it.... but it's not for the faint of heart.