Age old question: New truck vs used truck?

My 2014’s avg 6.5 with 10 speeds and ISX15 and my 2019 with endurant 12 speed auto with x15 engine avg 7.5.

That’s about $200 per week depending on how many miles you run and cost of fuel.

Also, I dont see where you factored in down time and resale of truck. You could miss out on 10 to 20k of revenue potentially per year by being in the shop with a used truck.

Someone will say but new trucks break too! Well yes but very little unless it’s a lemon. I have a 2018 T680 with x15 with 160k and never saw a shop. Same so far with 2019.

 

IMO, either buy new or go pre emissions. Just because it’s new doesn’t mean it won’t break down & vice versa for the old. Old & junk are different. Spent less than 5k on repairs for a cash 2002 truck last year. Do what ever makes you net the most at the end of the year.

 

New trucks are a good investment for owner operators who’ve been in the business for at least two years and are planning to keep the same truck for at least 1 million miles. Buying a new truck is a big investment, and you need to be certain about the move. There are many new owner operators jumping in. Most won’t make it (for various reasons). Buying a new truck to then return it in a few months will be very costly.

 

My thinking is exactly opposite. I feel like a new truck is a good investment if you intend to trade it before the warranty is. Ideally when it still has at least a hundred thousand left for resale value.
I still have trucks I bought in 99, I would hate to try and keep one of the new emmission laden trucks up for a million miles or more.

 

Your method is similar to just leasing a truck, cost-wise. You see, vehicles go through a steep depreciation in their first years. Big trucks are no exception, and their depreciation is even more massive. This is the reason why I recommend to keep the new equipment for at least 1M miles. The other tip would be to buy cash, but if it’s not possible, then get the lowest interest rate available and pay it ASAP as the yearly interest cost can be close to 10k on a loan over 120k.

 

Normally I would 100% agree with you but I think starmac has a good point in this case. It just seems like new trucks aren’t built the way they were 25 years ago. My intention is to keep my new trucks to 5 yrs 500k miles and sell them for 65,000. I bought the 5 yr 500k on the engine. That would come out to .17 per mile. It seems like when you start getting above 500k then things start wearing out and getting more breakdowns and down time. At a certain point the slow down of depreciation I don’t think outweighs the problems and down time. Even stupid things like coolant lines and stuff can break and strand you out somewhere for several days. Screw that. I actually just had that happen on a 2014 with 525k on it. Coolant line going to the emissions system. Cost me $550 plus losing $1500 in revenue and I got lucky the shop made me a new one. KW couldn’t get one for 3 to 10 days they said.

One thing I don’t understand is how some of the megas trade at 300k miles and 3 yrs. a new truck should never see the shop from 1 to 300,000 miles and from 300,000 to 500,000 some but minimal but taking a bath after 3 yrs I don’t see being worth the big depreciation loss.

I was planning on trading my trailers at 5 yrs but I think I’m going to go 7 yrs. my first new trailers I bought are now 4 yes old but they are like new and hadn’t lost much value. I’ve had to do shoes, drums, and tires anyway so might as well keep running them but get hopefully good resale being 3 yrs from that 10 yr thing with shippers. How long do you guys run trailers?

My Dad has a 96 W9 N14 with over a million miles on it with no overhaul. Truck could use a paint job but otherwise has been bullet proof. Those were the days!

We’ll see how these new X15 engines do as they age. Hopefully really good. The ISX I get nervous after goes off warranty and I sell. The overhaul cost is just so darn high and it’s hard to trust there won’t be a problem.

 

I had a used truck in the beginning and a second used truck for a driver I hired later. Both trucks were eating me up in maintenance. Between the drivers these fleets hire and their minimal maintenance programs, you end up with a truck that’s in constant need of attention. I bought new this time around and it’s been great. I’ve had zero down time and cost, other than scheduled maintenance, and it gets much better mpg. You’re trading a high variable cost used truck for increased fixed cost on a new one. I’ll take the higher fixed cost anyday over a truck that needs constant attention and takes me off the road for each event.

 

You are the opposite example of what all these people saying that new trucks break down and cause too much downtime to even make it hard staying on time with payments for it.
If I only knew that a new truck purchase was only about the scheduled maintenance and $2500 -3000 monthly payments, I would go for it rather than another 500K miles ex Swift or Knight Volvo truck with $70K of maintenance bills to follow in 4-5 years after purchase. As a matter of fact, an idea of another purchase at Arrow Truck Sales or such sickens me too. No win situation...hard to decide.

 

Not to throw everyone off, but what is the cost of leasing. Ryder Penske or some other company.
No repairs and i assume I get a replacement truck if yours broke down.
Anyone ever try??

 

H

The only people I see saying that are the ones who have older trucks that need to justify their decision or have preconceived ideas of what their experience would be. Who knows maybe the new trucks of 10 yrs ago were bad about having emissions problems but doesnt seem to be anymore.

Pretty much everyone I’ve seen on here rolling new stuff less then a few yrs old has no trouble at all.