best used semi truck to buy. Debating on a Mack or freightlinner

DawgMad · Nov 4, 2017

UFO said: ↑

WRONG! if you are looking for a "starter" truck, i would buy freightliner only. a mack is a great truck, but parts are usually "mack only" and expensive. also, mack dealerships aren't located in as many places, so breakdowns on the road, and that DOES happen, could last longer while parts are being shipped. there's a reason why not many companies who run coast to coast buy mack trucks, and it has to do with money.

as for the trucks made by paccar, well, expect to pay about 7 to 10 grand more up front, and about 30% more for parts made exclusively for pete or k.w. simply because of the name. remember, other than mack and in some cases volvo, all trucks are "gliders" when assembled. pete doesn't make engines, transmissions or differentials. there's no such thing as a peterbilt air compressor, or brakes. those components are made to fit any truck, with some things, like suspensions, made to fit only certain trucks. that said, you can still order a k.w. with neway air ride, or steel wheels. you simply pay alot more for parts that have the name stamped into them. personally i don't care for a 60 year old cab design with a narrow cramped cab that cost thousands more. but then again, i work for the money and not to impress anyone. remember, they all make the same money nomatter who makes the thing, and a truck on the repo lot doesn't make anyone money, but does represent alot of heartbreak.

generally, people who don't own a truck or never have, start yelling "peterbilt" first thing. they do that because they don't have a clue in hell. one day, when you have the experiance and money, you can buy what you want. there's a reason why most people don't buy a corvette for a first car.

as for what i've bought, i've stuck with used freightliners. they cost less to buy, insure, and parts are less expensive and you can buy them anywhere. i keep everything clean (frame and underside too) and upgrade to my own liking with the money i saved when i bought the thing. i stick with detroit because i've had great luck with them, and run them to about 1,300,000 before getting another truck. i consistantly get around 7 to 7.5 m.p.g. after reprogramming the e.c.m. (not for speed, but for power to minimize downshifting, although any truck i've ever owned would easily run 90 m.p.h. if i were stupid enough to run that fast).

as for cat engines, yeah, they are powerhouses, but parts are stupid expensive, and generally, they are a 5 to maybe 6 mile per gallon engine. great for heavy haul and off road, and for an EXPERIANCED driver who really understands how to make the most of them. that would not be you, or most drivers for that matter. expect over 20 grand for an out of frame major overhaul. by the way, you DO know cat went out of the business of making truck engines a few years ago, right? the factory no longer has any interest in trucking or supporting trucking in an way.

ask yourself what would happen if you snapped a crank the first year and wiped out the block. could you afford to fix the thing or would you be out of business and bankrupt? lots of guys lost their houses, marriages, and ended up broke on their butts by stupid, inmature thinking and trucking will take you there faster than about any business i know of.

as for the other trucks, international i would recommend to nobody. they are mostly a throw away after a few years truck, cheap made, and not made to last, and usually don't. there are exceptions, but not very many. most older internationals other than farm trucks, make it to the scrap yards alot quicker it seems, and most ofthe time, they are ready for exactly that. again, there are exceptions, but not very many.

with volvo, they seem to hold up fairly well as long as you don't run a volvo drivetrain. an example is the volvo air compressor, which has a high failure rate, and costs about 1,500 bucks. a volvo with a detroit or i.s.x. probably would hold up pretty good, be economical on an overall basis (again, insurance is part of that figure) and like the freightliner, would pay for itself much faster.

lastly this. ask yourself what the hell would you do if you had a major expense 2 weeks after the truck goes out of any warranty. most used trucks are sold with a 50/50 warranty, and if an engine repair costs 14 grand, you are on the hook for 7. you got that kind of money, plus not having any income for as long as 2 weeks? remember, the bills go on nomatter if you have the money or not.

if you honestly don't have the financial backup to support you, your family, make payments, run your house and you life for at least a month, you would be an idiot destined for bankruptcy court. the second truck i bought i bought for for pennies on the dollar due to the previous owner having a motorcycle wreck and not being able to work for 3 months. a very nice, well kept freightliner flat top with all the bells and lots of stainless and chrome, new paint, new engine, rebuilt trans, full gauge package and stereo, with 2 new elderado seats, and i bought it for cheap and made good money with it after the guy before me spent thousands of dollars on it, but didn't have enough to run his house while he was off work.

can you do that? if not, don't go into business for yourself, and by the way, the SECOND you sign the title or finance agreement, you are no longer a truck driver, you are a business person. unless you are stupid, and alot of guys are, you make your business decisions on a business level. profit and loss and what makes sense. most guys fail because they simply can't do that. by the way, if you don't have at least 2 years o.t.r. experiance, you don't have the beginning of a clue of what you are getting yourself and family into and are thinking more along the lines of a 5 year old girl rather than a logical adult. try very hard not to be stupid, and there's at least some hope for you. not much, but some. take advise from people that have at least some grey hair, and have been successful. there really aren't that many of them, so you will have to look. even then, be careful and think things through.

best of luck to you. i wish you well nomatter what you decide.
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Great Post! Really telling it like it is no sugar coat.

DrFlush · Nov 4, 2017

I agree with UFO on all points except the International dis. I have a 09 Prostar with an ISX and it spends a lot less time in the shop than any of my friends that have shakers regardless of the drivetrain they have. But I am relentless about keeping my truck in good repair before its an issue.

MACK E-6 · Nov 11, 2017

j_martell said: ↑

E6 and E7 are industructable....mostly

I have had very good luck with the EPA10 MP7-405M in the granite. Volvo/Mack seem to have figured it out faster than most

View attachment 146780
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No question the E-6's were.

The E-7's were somewhat less so, IMO.

Chris Keller · Dec 17, 2018

I say get a International 9400I Eagle with a Cummins ISX 15 and a 10 or 13 speed manual Eaten Transmission.

doc43204 · Jan 17, 2019

001trucker1972 said: ↑

International 9400i with a cummins isx
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If you're tall, International is not user friendly from a structural stand point.

Proxy · Feb 12, 2019

sorry if I have repeated anything that anyone else has stated, from my experience purchase a truck that your area can service, if not freightliner dealers in area then I would buy something else etc. Then after you establish a brand to buy, visually check it out and make sure it doesn't look beat... maintenance records are a huge plus, if it has an aftertreatment system I would work a cost to be built in for removing and cleaning or cooking the dpf filter (needs to be done about every 200k or so) and cleaning doser nozzle etc etc, those small preventative maintenance procedures are usually ignored and will put you into a full derate at worse possible time and cost a lot to fix, that combined with loss of revenue while the dealership is throwing parts at it trying to diagnose it....

Keepontrucking2016 · Mar 22, 2019

This thread is 7 years old and ppl still post comments lol

x1Heavy · Mar 22, 2019

Keepontrucking2016 said: ↑

This thread is 7 years old and ppl still post comments lol
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Many dead threads are piggybacked by the newbies who just registered to join TTR (Welcome) but don't know enough that the dates exist in the blue bar.

JB TRUCKING AB · Apr 3, 2019

[
Great points there . Have a quick question for you . I am a newbie . Recently got class 1 professional license. Plan is to haul manure for a local feeding lot . That being said I am looking to do it in partnership with other guy .so , there will be business to do and it's going to be seasonal . Looking to buy a used Freightliner of Mack for under $40000 Canadian. And rent an end dump for the season for about$3000 a month ... Provide me with some insight please.
Thanks[/QUOTE]

x1Heavy · Apr 3, 2019

JB TRUCKING AB said: ↑

[
Great points there . Have a quick question for you . I am a newbie . Recently got class 1 professional license. Plan is to haul manure for a local feeding lot . That being said I am looking to do it in partnership with other guy .so , there will be business to do and it's going to be seasonal . Looking to buy a used Freightliner of Mack for under $40000 Canadian. And rent an end dump for the season for about$3000 a month ... Provide me with some insight please.
Thanks
Click to expand...

[/QUOTE]

Its mack for that work. Unless you had a form of that SD122 Design Freightliner (Google it, super duty) You will find you can knock a Mack around a little bit across a field, but some freightliners don't like to get their feet dirty, if they did something breaks usually. Unless specifically built for that hard work.

starmac · Apr 15, 2019

I wonder, why Mack has exactly zero dealers in Alaska, hmmm?

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