Checking used Truck

I would strongly recommend you drive for a couple of years before buying a truck. I can tell you right now by the questions you are asking there is no way you will make it as an owner operator. I hope you don't take this as an insult. You need to know how to fix your own truck if you want to succeed as an O/O. With that being said that is the least of your problems. You have no idea how to drive, you have no clue whatsoever about the industry. I would be very surprised if you will be able to find an insurance company that will insure you. Actually most truck dealers won't sell you a truck unless you have experience driving. I know this sounds pretty negative but you are setting yourself up for quite an expensive failure. Would you go by a helicopter right now and start your own business? Same thing. I very highly recommend you be a company driver for a couple of years. If you read through this forum you will find what I have just posted by hundreds of other drivers. Really not a good idea! On a lighter note, welcome to the forum!

 

That is Great advice..I mean,I have been a company driver for 7 years now and although I think about buying my own truck.....Put it this way,-there is ALOT to learn

 

Hey Bumpy, sometimes I think these are just trolls posting stuff like this. I can't possibly fathom someone who would go out and buy a truck and then learn how to drive and how the industry works. Like I said before, you might as well buy a jet because it makes about the same sense. Hell it's probably cheaper to buy a plane then a semi anyway! Man, now that I think about it I should have bought a plane!

 

Read...listen.... and FOLLOW this advice!

I've run my own business (construction) for 32 years so I know how to "run a business" but NOT a trucking business. I've been a driver since August and I have SO MUCH to learn about the trucking industry FIRST!

Chompi my friend, as usual, you keep it real and provide great advice to us newbies....

Merry Christmas and a VERY Happy New Year buddy!

 

I saw one of my classmates from trucking school about 2 or 3 months after I went solo. Told him about my experience, going out with a trainer etc, he's an older gentleman and wanted to go buy his own truck from Arrow, an automatic and 'learn as you go approach'. There are a lot of baby boomers out there with annuities, 401k's, early retirements, trust funds, severance packages etc who can't afford to retire yet and have grand visions of becoming O/O's.

 

Try to get a pre-emission (no egr) Detroit. Pull a full ECM report, find out who worked on it and see what records there are, see a Detroit dealer with the engine serial # for what history they may have in their computer about it. Pay for a full inspection of the truck, get it on a dyno to see what kind of hp and torque #s it's putting down and have a blow by test done while it's on the dyno.

That's a start.

 

Well with fuel going up and up and up..and freight not paying crap.. I wouldnt want to own a truck right now..and if your just learning..just go to work for a company..let them pay fuel, break downs, PM's..ect.. see how much they spend.. .. most OO's dont make that much more then a well paid company driver...after all is said and done..

 

Try getting insurance with no experience. Definitely check into whether you will be able to even get insurance with no experience before you start looking at trucks!