Buying Trucks From Fleets

Check out Salem Truck Leasing in Winston Salem, NC,nice trucks. I got a 2000 379 Pete from them that was leased to Richard Childress Racing, very well maintained trucks.

 

Especially when the emblem says Freightliner!

The BAD thing about a fleet owned truck is how many drivers sat behind the wheel and how good he drove! You can have all the maintenance records on that POS but it's how many different driving styles (yeah that's a laugh!) were behind the wheel!

Fleets do, most of the time, take fairly good care of their equipment BUT an owner usually takes better care as it HIS truck! It's not a company or L/P drivers truck! They usually have the thought that "it ain't mine" and treat it as such and most of the L/P drivers out there now are straight out of school, so know nothing about a truck except that they know if a flatbed is loaded and a reefer gets cold! I've seen L/P fleets that I swear the drivers took their trucks and entered a freaking demolition Derby! I've even seen them where they drill stupid holes in the dash remove cabinets and even screw up the interiors to put stupid clothes hanger rods across the sleeper. I mean just totally ruin the inside of a $100,000 piece of equipment because they think because they are a big time almost O/O the truck is theirs and do some of the most asinine things to them! Then go broke and drop out of the lease! LOL It ain't yours until the title is in your name so treat it like it belongs to the real owner not like a flat-lander redneck in a mobile home!

Before you buy take it to an independent shop for a thorough inspection because from the sound of it you need more training before you decide to buy. This isn't a Chevy P/U you're looking at!

To be frank if you're going to go O/O then be ready to look at more than a few trucks. Get a very experienced driver or owner to go with you to help you weed out those with a few cans of paint sprayed on the frame and a coat of wax with a steam cleaned engine!

The best I can tell you is get a loan, have the operating capital you need and buy NEW with a warranty! Unless you have a well equiped shop and can do the work your self or have the capital to afford the work outright that warranty is worth the money!

 

Years ago, I bought my used Volvo from the Freightliner dealer. It was an old Crete Carrier truck, price was decent, mileage was about right, and they had all the service records. Had no problems with the truck. The only negatives I found, that with it being a fleet truck, it was a little sparse, and also a bit underpowered.

 

Be aware, Arrow is running ads that say if you put $4000, they'll put $4000 down, or if you put $10,000 down, they'll put $4000 down. Arrow can say all they want but they're not put a dime down on your truck, only jacking the price $4000 somewhere to make it "look" like they're putting money down.

 

Now Now I got a Freightliner 99 Glider. logged 8 yrs with it.Beat the s&!t outta it. See my picts.Still logging with it. Im OTR now but my old POS is still chugging around the woods an back roads of PA.An it,s got a CAT 3406E POS in its self. 4:11 rears full lockers