2000 KW W900 vs 2000 FREIGHTLINER FLD132 CLASSIC XL

1. You can work your butt off and get caught and then what? Also you should not need to run your butt off for the right rates. Work smarter not harder. I do agree it would be nice sometimes to be able to just go when I feel like it vs the ELD so don't get me wrong on that.
2. If buying a used Emissons truck is an option learn how they need to be spec'd to not have emissions problems. Also make sure they Have an APU so you do not have all that idle time on the truck. A New truck spec'd decent will get better MPG;s and also save you money with an APU already installed.
3. On a 2014 Volvo D13 I did an overhaul on it for 25K before the pandemic prices shot up. Not sure what they are now but give you an idea on what it could cost. I learned it was 20-25K a year to run a used truck when I ran used.

I rented a trailer through TNT out of Saint Louis MO and they do flat bed as well. Was reasonable when I rented and easy to deal with.
Should be able to get the truck tuned to 500 plus with no issues.
Last I do not know anyone in the area that you can contact to look at. You may be able to contact Chad @ Alignment Solutions and he may know someone that can do it. He is the best in the business at Alignment and most likely knows many people that could do it.

 

I wonder if the Classic was originally a Swift Truck. They bought a bunch of them in 99. A white Classic was the most common Truck sold in 99. Mainly because of Swift. The color, rear ratio, the tanks, the 430/470 rating, the no frills dash, lack of gauges. Everything except the 13 spd screams Swift Truck. I wonder if someone upgraded the trans to a 13 at some time. I’m pretty sure all the Swift Trucks had 10 speeds. I would check with a Freightliner Dealer, per vin #. I would also want to plug into the ecm and get the lifetime average on fuel mileage. Chances are it’s pretty good. Nothing wrong with 430/470. Not much difference in power than a 500. Pretty sure different injectors is the only difference. They came set at 470 on cruise, and 430 using the pedal. The idea was to encourage the use of cruise for better mpg’s. I’m not sure, but think it can be set at 470/470, just by changing the parameters in the ecm. I’d leave it be, get the better mpg’s. Anyways, I’ve ran Classics since 2000. First a 99, now a 2000. I’m amused at the negative opinions of others. The Trucks are very simple compared to others. About the easiest to work on. Not a lot of mystery involved. Parts are also cheap and still readily available. Being an old Truck, it’s always going to need something. Same as any 4 yr old 500k Mile Truck. The surprises as they age aren’t many. Mainly bushings, Cab, Hood, Springs. That stuff only lasts about 7-8 years on any Truck. The bottom line is it can all be done as needed. Not going to break the bank. If you can change parts, you can save a bunch of Labor costs. That’s the advantage of owning one of these Trucks. The Trucks are simple and easy to figure out. Not very complicated. Plenty of room to acess everything. My maintenance costs are unbelievably low. If you can’t fix small issues, and rely on Truck Stops and Dealerships for small stuff, you’ll regret buying an older Truck. I’d rather see 3.55 rears. That Truck may struggle a lot in hills. Just have to run it one gear lower. Using the top gear when light, empty, on flat ground. They can be swapped out when the time comes. Basically you’re risking needing a trans, clutch, etc. maybe new rears. Eventually all of the above, and another inframe. No different than any Truck. I’d want to see paperwork on the inframe. Making sure the bull gears been replaced. Figuring out exactly how many miles are on the inframe. Its priced a bit high. $30k wound be fair. The problematic items are doors, they need periodic repair. Simple to figure out. The a/c bracket tends to get loose, breaking bolts, and wallowing out the holes in the front covers. There’s an inner and outer cover. That’s a big job to change them. There’s work arounds, including drilling and sleeving the holes. The york compressors are junk. I suggest eventually upgrading to a pad mounted Sanden, along with the proper new bracket, pad mounted alternator, serpentine belt, and belt tensioner. Costs about $1000 for everything. It’s an option. Depending on whether or not the current set up causes problems. As far as blow by is concerned. Expect it. Nature of the beast. More so than other engines. Often gets excessive above 700k miles. Doesn’t hurt anything, just keep oil in it. No guarantees on anything. But even the worst case scenario, replacing the suspension, front end, trans, and rears. Still doesn’t add up to much, compared to other Trucks. That’s the truth. Ask any old FLD owner. Must of the stuff I’ve replaced is typical of any Truck. The key is to catch it before it fails. At least be ready to repair if it does. It’s all simple stuff. Naysayers mean well. I can say from my own experience with 2 Classics, running over 2.3 million miles between the 2, only time I’ve been on a hook is when my last one got totaled out. Been running this one for almost 15 years. Bought it with 875k, had 50k on an inframe, just like the 99 I wrecked. Same mileages. Now it has 2.5 million miles. 160k on a inframe. So 2 inframes 2 clutches replacements, 1 transmission replacements before I got it, 1 since. Still has original rears. Changed oil twice. Recently replaced bearings and seals just because. Point being, prepare for the worst. In reality, it’s not always the case. The few issues Ive had, haven’t shut me down. Plenty of minor annoyances, running with a temporary patched up repair till I fix it properly. But never left me stranded. Always makes the trip.

 

it all comes down to the end user and resale value. KW wins on the resale value if it’s a hood truck compared the Classic. But a century or Columbia isn’t a 132 Classic.

As far as parts reliability of same drivetrain on both trucks it means majority of the parts are the same meaning end user comes into play.

 

“but so and so told me this” doesn’t work 99% of the time if they have some gain from you.

it just means once they extract the money they need from you they’ll promise you the world to get it.

 

what your instructor and dealer told you. Those things.

one thing we learn the hard way is if it’s not on paper words mean nothing.