Advice Needed for New Truck

ok guys, thanks for the tips so far. ill see if prairie boy can help me out.

for the questions, my typical trip is just over 300 km loaded at 54000 kg and return empty pulling aluminium trains. it seems that 550 hp and 46000 lb axles is the biggest there is, and thats likely the best option. i have to cross two prairie rivers to get there and some soft rolling hills.

as i said, the truck im driving seems to average around 420 litres for it give or take. i found a used one....2008 western star with a cat c15 rated at 475 hp. it has 40000 lb axles. it has a thermo king on it and a 68 inch bunk with real mahogany and leather seats. sounds like a pretty nice hwy unit. i suspect it would do the job for what id be doing, but i just really dont want to be spending much time in the repair shop. asking price is 83000, so by the time i add a blower and pto for sand transfer and hoses and fittings, and chains id be around 95000ish.
it has warranty to 500000 km.


seems that to rig up a new one is going to be around 170000. im just trying to decide if the extra cabbage is going to balance out in the long run. this thing is going to make me money, so i would like to make the right decision the first time. if i go new, id be getting the 46000lb axles and 550 hp engine.

i guess another thing to think about is tuning that 475 to get 550 out of it. what needs to be done and is it the right thing to do. does it stress that engine which could leasd to needing some fixing because of it? sigh.

if it helps, im an automotive mechanic so i understand how these things work and the mechanical terms and stuff, so no need to over explain stuff. thanks again for those offering advice.

dale

 

oh, and does anyone know who had the pic of the cat cleaning off its #####slapper? i wanna poach that pic.

 

thanks for the help on this one guys. i received my new unit 2 weeks ago, and wow is that sucker a beauty. i went with a 2013 prostar with a 73 inch bunk. it has all the bells and whistles including premium sound with an amp and a subwoofer. the sub could have used a better box, but its pretty good for factory installed stuff. im not crazy about the pushbutton airhorn, but otherwise what a gem. it has been raining relentless, so work has been limited, but so far im finding this truck to be a great blend of power and fuel economy with a lot of creature comfort for the driver. i dont often sleep in it for my job, but i did camp a night to see how it was. very comfortable bed for sure, and the storage inside is awesome. the maxxforce 15 engine is very quiet and all i heard about better fuel economy is true and then some. so far so good. ill try to get some pics up when i get a chance.

 

14000lb front axle, 46000 lb rear, 500 horse, 1850 torque, 3.90 gears, 18 speed eaton, maxxforce 15.

 

sorry for not having pics yet. my camera seems to have been lifted of all things. anyway, the rain has stopped and work has picked up. been running good and steayd now for a couple weeks, and hopefully the weather holds.

ezrider, in response to your comments, a $20k beater may work well enough for hauling water, but i have seen a guy or two try that route here, and it just doesnt work. for curiosity....this truck after a few add ons and equipment for the job was about 175k. i calculated all the costs of new vs used and just couldnt make it make sense to buy an old one. anything even 3-5 years old that didnt have 2 million km on them were selling for around 90ish thousand. i went with new at 140 thousand (bare naked unit) reasoning that one major repair of an engine or transmission at around 25 thousand would be more than the difference of new. after expenses, im taking in between 1000 and 1200 on an average day. add 10-15 days down time plus repairs and i could have had a new one.

i realize that very few trucking jobs pay what im getting, so i understand that a new truck isnt going to make sense for everyone, but it sure does for me. here in alberta, the time for making money is limited. between weather delays and spring weight restrictions, i only work about 7 months a year. well some guys get 8 and a half, but i also take off hunting season. my point is, when its time to work, i need a truck i can rely on, so in my situation, a new truck just makes financial sense.

ill get some pics up as soon as i pick up a new camera.