Can I get a good reliable truck in the $20-$30k?

Sure, you can get a good truck for that price. Many trucks for sale. Have it checked out but it's still as crap shoot. Truck can check out fine and lunch itself in a week. Try to find a private sale and make a cash offer of like $25k on a $30k truck. Lots and lots of Freightliners for sale and a good starter truck.

 

I bought my 2000 Pete 379, 475 3406E CAT with 570,000 miles for $23,500, it can be done if you look around.

 

You can buy good trucks for any price really. That's not to say you won't have to put more money in ir. Purchase price is one part of the cost of truck ownership. You just want to buy something that is worth the expected and sometimes unexpected repairs and maintenance.

 

pay now, or pay later.

 

my truck was 3 years old when first purchased, 06 Freightliner Columbia, w/430k i paid $16.5K. Buy at auction, but never go to buy at auction. eh, bidder fever is all to common at auction, then something nice happens.

 

I bought a 03 truck 3 years ago for 25k with 546k miles. Has 704k now. You will spend 8-17k a year to maintain it. I just see no reason to spend so much on a truck. If the motor is good you can make $$, if not good luck.

 

One thing about a older truck,if your not willing to get your hands dirty. You might be better of staying co driver. Nothing like ride all night,work on truck most of the day.

 

Maybe, maybe not. Another way to look at it, $1500-$2000 a month payment is $18,000-$24,000 a year. Its possible to spend that on a used truck in a year for maintenance, but year after year that is just not likely. Making those big payments on a new(er) truck for years on end does not shield anyone from also having to spend an equal amount of money on keeping it going either. The whole buy a new(er) truck so you don't have to work on it argument just doesn't hold water anymore these days. They may have warranty, and that's great, but if your truck is in the shop all of the time, just how much is it earning you?

 

I'll amend my statement. Pay now, or pay later. Or both. Personally, I always buy used trucks that are in good shape and maintain them and agree with Oscar about the basic numbers of it, but I've also never bought a new truck to compare.

 

$30k Can buy you a nice truck. May take awhile and some long road trips only to arrive and find a turd once or twice but they are out there. You will probably have better luck with private sales as far as this goes. Look for something with a history of long ownership and lots of records to back maintenace or over hauls. I bought mine from the original owner and could tell the guy loved the truck more than life itself. It needed a few things here and there like a passenger window that would go down but not all the way up but nothing major. One could easily pay $50k or $60k for something newer thats just coming into its nickel and dime years. Its all really a crap shoot when it comes to used.