Better For Hot Shot: 1 Ton or MDT?

I'd get a medium duty or look for a used Class 8 with a sleeper, I don't use my dually any more and run a 379 Pete to pull my enclosed car trailer, some say it's overkill, but my fuel milage issn't that much different, then I also have a sleeper and this truck will last a long time. Any dually you use, will be worn out in two years if you run hard. Plus oyu can pick up a used class 8 for half what a new dually will cost you.

 

I agree with Sho tyme, duallys aren't made for continous heavy hauling. A buddy hauls car up and down the east coast, he's had to replace motors, trannys and rears. Finally he bought a single axle Freightliner with a sleeper. Now his down time is non-existent, fuel economy is about the same and he has a sleeper now so no more hotel bills.

 

Doing hotshot work is not "continuous heavy hauling".

Here are the weights, lengths, and configurations that we run constantly
down here doing hotshot work.

http://www.acmetruck.com/truck-inventory.shtml

I see many duallys on the road, I also see MANY old ones.

 

I passed you a couple weeks ago on I-10 W, if I remember right it was just before the scales in LA. You had two pickups with what looked to be tractor tires on em, you coulda called em monster trucks.

Right?


Also, as far as not staying loaded with anything less than 40' I can't agree with.

It is better to have a 40' as it increases the loads that are available to you.

Personally, after doing the work I would go with the FLD. Something like that you could always add a sleeper to. Also its always better to have too much suspension and power for what you are going to do than to not have enough.

 

Ya that was me good eye
I have had alote of trucks over the years 3 one tons a C5500 than a fl70 every 2-3years the one tons were wore out i didnt sale my first truck the 02 just sold it a few years back but with a one ton im glad to have had a backup truck
In 06 i got a new dodge and @ 260,000 miles the truck was on the drive with the 3rd motor blown there junk
I hauled up to 18,000 on mine with 12,k axles most the guys would only go 14,000 thats why i ran all the time

But having a big trucks not all that either i have had a truck in the body shop for over 8 weeks now and my volvo was in the shop all last week

 

Yes sir, Here in West Texas you will see a LOT of 1ton duallys! Generally Ford and Dodge trucks pulling 40ft trailers...you can get away with a 35ft w/dove tail (which makes it about 40ft) but nothing smaller. I was going to do it my self but found a, job hauling diesel instead.

 

What do you mean by wore out in two years for a dually?

 

200,000 miles on most trucks, you'll have put a transmission or two in it, the engine will be close to being rebuilt, suspension will of had to have work done to it, rearends redone, a set of brake pads or two, 3 sets of tires.

As I've said before, I did this with a 1 ton dually and moved up to a semi, my life is alot easier and safer, WAY better brakes, plus, even the used truck I have will last me 5 years or more doing what I am doing.

If you really search the market and want to do hot shot, you can find a nice single axle tractor cheaper than a new dually, speced right you can get real close to the same milage, have a bigger fuel capacity,sleeper and will get more money out of it when you want to sell it.

 

I had 507,000 on my ford f350 when I traded for a dodge 3500.

It now has 586,000 on it and the maintenance is nothing major.

I know of several people that have over a million and some that have 1.7 million and no new motor.

 

I've got a lot of friends who hotshot and have 300,000-500,000 using 1tons with no real problems as well. Further more, In my years living in the oil patch, I have rarely seen anything else used.