Pipe Dream

You're backwards ... All the stuff you feel is overwhelming att is the stuff you have to master before you can even consider getting a truck.

 

Maybe find out what type of freight you like to haul such as flats, reefer, box etc.

 

First you figure out what type of trucking you want to do.
Van / Flatbed / Reefer/ Tanker / Container .
Next you figure out long haul, regional, or local.
Then ask YOURSELF
What part of the country are you planning on running ?
Are you willing to go outside the area you pick if it gets slow ?
Then you figure out how you want to organize.
Lease on to a big carrier , own authority, mom and pop .
Are you going to run as a corparation and w2 your self or are you running as a sole proprietor..

Once you've picked all that out you can start to figure out how the truck needs to be speced out .

Or if you just want to skip all that work
BUY a INTERNATIONAL with MAXFORCE engine and run CONTAINERS in CHICAGO.

 

If you refer to the power or speed choice thread you will find that many of us like a rig that can lift a load over a steep western mountain in a timely manner. Or be able to maintain cruise set speed regardless of winds or terrain westbound.

Its not our fault that the USA fails over and over to evolve past 550 horses. 1000 and 2400 torque would be very nice. use very little fuel for the weight. The MAN's that the Germans use in the Leopard II MBT's come to mind. They are not much bigger than our Detriots and push 1000 horse. Not to mention purring a little effort without winding and redlining like a #### engine would.

 

I have to assume you do drive now.

If not, start with that, get a cdl, get into a truck then look around, try different things on other people's dime.

 

The most important thing about a truck is that you are able to fix it, and that its actually worth fixing. Imo.

 

For a starter truck I recommend a Volvo with a N14 Mecanical Pump..You will start with a Big pile of money and have very little money before you pull the first load..Leasing your truck to a Good Company is Best.

 

Ok, you've been around this site a while, you do have it backwards. You are thinking of doing exactly what I did. I was a company driver, had a friend that pulled rail wagons out of Chicago, and I jumped willy-nilly with very little research. We didn't have the luxury of TTR, so we were on our own. In our defense, it wasn't like today. My 1st truck in 1988 was an '82 Western Star, cost me $22,500 with a new motor. I was totally unprepared for what O/O would bring, and unlike today, failure wasn't this catastrophic event, like it can be today. There's a jillion trucks out there, unlike when I was looking in the late 80's, get all the other stuff lined up, then just go out and get a truck. A retiring O/O is your best bet, once you get that far. In this day and age, better it should just remain a pipe dream, and unless you dad owns a packing house ( or whatever) I'd drive a company truck and go home at the end of the day, really. If you do go that route, and I don't see things getting any better for O/O's in the future, get the job you want, then the truck. Nothing worse than putting all your cookies into a truck to find out it's not what you really need. Remember, it's a lot tougher getting out of it, than getting into it.

 

Spec the truck for the freight u will haul and the area u are gonna run. Make sure u know how to turn wrenches and fix stuff as any used truck is gonna require that. Most the repairs is gonna be stuff that cost 100 to 500 dollars that is held on with 4 bolts and if u take it to the shop u can easily turn that into a 1000 bill and they might break something else in the process. I would reccomend a cummins isx but that that is just my preference. There is a huge support sytem for that engine and endless amount of knowledge online the rawze forum. And they are easy to work on.. Dont worry about what style of truck it is. The engine and tranny and bones of the truck is what matters , watever cab sits on top if it doesnt matter. Good luck to u.