Understanding A truck specs

Honestly I can see both ways here. @"semi" retired I fully agree that Paccar makes a very durable truck and fit and finish is seen both at time of purchase and 20 years out. A ton of guys around here run them 2+ million miles and keep rebuilding em. Problem arises with the newer models and the exclusivity of Paccar MX series engines. They are decent if they haven't idled much over their lifetime. A local oil company left volvo to go to petes and the owner said he was glad he leased and has gone back to buying volvos. Operationally it works for him. I drive a volvo and have grown comfortable with their quirks and would feel comfortable purchasing one as my first truck as I have grown a base knowledge of them. I also know some of our fleet mechanics that would be willing to make side money and have an extensive knowledge base on these making it make sense for me. I agree on keeping trucks clean, shiny pete or white volvos. Pride in your business will never be a bad thing. And 100 percent agree with the other post that law enforcement will dig in less on a clean truck (not a chromed truck lol).

 

I'm not gonna argue brand loyalty, I run a freightliner. I hate all of them equally. I can show you guys that have great numbers and broke, and guys with bad numbers doing well. It's about you, not the truck. But you best have pride in it no matter what it is. It's your business and it reflects your operation. It dont have to be fancy to make money, but you still need pride in it. You would be best to cut your budget in half. Find a older truck with a fresh rebuild and work on it and learn as you go. Just remember there will be days that there is no work or cheap work. Lower payment will allow you to sit at home with the wife and kids longer with less worry. Plus normally have a lower cost of ownership, but higher manual labor. With that said a neat clean older paid for truck will out do a $2800.00 truck payment with GPS and newest gizmos all day long. To me a 5 yearold 500k mile truck is equal to a 20 yearold truck. Mostly thru its life cycle. Rebuild or replace. Fastest way to not have payments is my best advise. Everyone is different.

 

they're going to buy a Volvo stay away from those ISX motors and get yourself a d13..

 

Everybody has a different opinion.
I worked with and have known lots of dot officers, the one thing in common they pretty much always have, is they will pull in for inspection ratty looking or dirty trucks. Age has nothing to do with it, nor really does the kind of truck, or if it is chromed out or not.

The thing about having a 379 or a W9 instead of say a 9400 international (which I own and like) is where to stop when it needs any major work.
If my international needed 10,000 grand spent on it in the morning, it really would not be worth it and you would for sure have to drive it out to ever see your money back, but the same year pete or Kw it would, as they are and always will be worth at least twice or more what the international will be.
Now, I bought that international close to new, and speced out nice, it made as much money over the years as any other truck would have, and I never had to spend a dime on chrome or chicken lights. lol I could literally throw it away, it does not owe me anything. I also own a W9. that is a year older that owes me nothing, and I could easily get twice what I could get for the binder and with a little effort get close to three times the amount. If I had to inframe it or something tomorrow, it would still be a sensible move.

 

Man, I was right with you and thought you were spouting the gospel until you screwed up and said pete was the best, when every body knows the W9 is. I won't hold it against you though, it may have just been an honest mistake made in the heat of the moment.
My problem with any of the newer aero trucks, is they are cheap for a reason, and when you can easily tie up 10,000 or better a time or three on, just on emission problems, then you have spent more than the truck is worth, and have a hard time spending what a guy needs to on all the little things to keep the truck up where it needs to be.

 

Ok, I like your posts, sounds like you know what you're talking about. You're right, it's splitting hairs what's better, it's been an age old dilemma. I think K Whopper is the best too, ( after seeing Sonny Pruitts double wide Dubja 9, specially made for that show, btw, I was hooked) I'm just partial to Pete's. I don't mean to bash this person, or anybody for that matter, Volvo is ok, Freightliner too, they're pretty much the same underneath. My 1st truck was a '82 Western Star with Pete air ride, and I made money with that truck for several years. Wasn't a Pete, but paid the bills, which isn't much different than what this guy wants, it's just, of all the crap I drove for companies, I always looked forward to the day I had my own Pete, and when it happened ( my '72 359 small window in avatar), it was everything I dreamed about. I was a fool to sell it, and it didn't take long. Volvos haul a lot of strawberries( or whatever) and are ok trucks as well. It's just, Volvos and Freightliners are throw away trucks. Electrical gremlins will drive you nuts, and there's little if any resale. This guy can do what they want. I think they already know what they want, but wants a little pat on the back for their decision, which is fine, it's why this site is here, but don't tell me Pete and KW are in the same class as the others. You'll never convince me of that. They can take or leave my opinion, no big whoop for me, it's just, years ago there was a difference in trucks, a BIG difference, and I'll uphold that to the bitter end. Peace.

 

I am not sure what a 579 is, but if it is a slope nose, the resale probably is not a lot better than any truck. I am not a fan of any of the new KW's long hood or not. They are not what they used to be and the and the new dash design does not hold up.
I can't say on the pete, but they are no longer available with an engine I want, so haven't even ask much about them. The are the most popular new truck sold to oos up here.. The hoods, not the slope nosed ones.
The T800 kw held their value good, but the T600s and T2000s not so much.