Buying truck need ideas.

Why are you not looking at the IHC 9400's???
You can buy a sub 500K unit for just over 20K in really good shape.

(I did)

ISX can be brought right up to 2000 ft lbs TQ if you know who to see with a computer interface.
Tons of room and a boatload of used parts on the market.
They are a solid truck, too!

 

PS, after coming out of a 379 pete and into my IHC, besides the look...I will take the IHC any day.
The red oval is akin to a Harley Davidson. Old tech, high price mostly based on "bad ###" factor.
I like getting 6.4 MPG without trying.
That 379 with the C15 Cat hovered around 5 at best. This makes a HUGE difference in operating costs.
I would not TOUCH a MB engine. ZERO balls.
(But I guess if you dont mind dropping three gears for every hill, you will be okay.)

 

Oh Yeah, one other thing.
"Fleet Maintained"
Lets consider that for a minute.
A fleet truck, (for the most part) has had several drivers.
On average, about 40% seem to give two s^%$'s how they treat a truck...and the maintenance is held as long as possible. (Oil changes are usually 25,000 at least, so they last till they dump them.)

I would suggest to ANY driver buying his own to find a O/O who is retiring selling an older truck with a stack of receipts and an oil change sticker showing no more than 12k from current mileage.

Think about it...who is going to treat a truck better...the guy who is paying the 90K mortgage on it, or the .34 CPM driver who changes jobs four times a year?

You can get lucky with a fleet truck, but if you are truly "profiling" a truck, the O/O in his early 60's who is getting out of driving...often due to medical crap...will give you your best used truck nearly every time.

Also, the best BEST advice I can give you is to have any truck you are ready to sign on brought to a real, licensed shop and gone over fully. Pay the 250.00 for them to crawl up its arse with a microscope.
It will be the best money you ever spent.
If the dealer or owner you are buying from does not want to do this, I would tell you to run away.

 

Thanks for the heads up. Dealer prices are garbage. After all, I am in california.