brand new truck

Buy one from your company. Never buy new.

 

Well if you have some pretty major cash and a good credit this might be an option for you. Many people go this route and do fine. It just comes with a big commitment to steep monthly payments that will probably make you stay on the road to show good margins.

If they say yes to new, they will probably want about 20k down. If you put 20k down and don’t have at least 10k cash left over, I would advise to wait a little longer until you can.

 

Yes capital is a must. Being a company driver you know you’ll get paid every week or bi weekly. Being an O/O be prepared to not receive payments for at least 30 days. You’ll need to buy fuel and maintenance out of pocket on top of initial start up until you’re stable enough to bring in a steady cash flow.
Buying brand new has a better chance of saving headaches of breakdowns. But it’ll cost more out the gate.
But if that’s not in your budget. Go ahead and get a well maintained used truck. Just be prepared for parts giving out quicker than a new truck.

 

If you buy a new truck you'll have a full warranty for at least the first couple of years. Get a Cummins engine under factory warranty it can be serviced or repaired at any dealer or shop with a Cummins certification regardless of if it's a Freightliner shop or not. Once you have some working capital saved up, you could get the extended warranty to cover breakdowns after the factory warranty expires.

 

Good way to go bankrupt when warranty is up.

 

OMG here is a really brutal comment.

Getting new does not mean not breaking down.

You have a warranty ... BIG DEAL ... it doesn't cover your downtime or the bills. If the truck is a lemon, you will always have issues.

YOU need capital to keep going, the truck being fixed because it dropped a rod or there are sensor issues that they can't quite find and it sits for a month won't pay the bills.

ALSO get pre-approved for LS, don't assume they will accept you.