Do you know how to work on your truck?

This question has to be broken down a little.
First, if it is engine/auto trans electronic related it is probably more cost effective to let a dealer handle it, with ONE caveat:
You need to know as much as possible about mechanics/trouble shooting/electronics. Know enough to specify the exact symptoms under what circumstances are causing the problem. Not " it doesn't have any power". Instead: " When getting on the interstate and merging power is fine, but on cruise set at 65 mph, it doesn't react and bogs down. Knock off the cruise and everything seems to be normal.

Second: Much of the truck is totally serviceable with processes, tools and skills that haven't changed much in 50 years.

Third: The more you know about things mechanical, the better you can be on the preventative maintenance bandwagon. Even if you don't do the work, you know when something needs attention well before a failure. Or what to do in a pinch to get yourself rolling. Or know the difference between something that can wait until the load is delivered to needs to be done RIGHT NOW. If you let someone else do the work, you are in a position to determine if they are competent.

In short, the fact that i was a trained mechanic before I started trucking was a god send. I made way more money paying myself to do many repairs rather than my buddies who are paying now $150-$200 hr for someone to "practice" being a mechanic.

 

True post. But the reliability debate can be argued in many cases. I will add to what you say about everyone making their money off of you. These days they can charge aerospace fees because everyone has gotten it in their heads that these new trucks are somehow untouchable unless you have a degree from a dealership or a special patch on your shirt.

 

The reliability wasn’t a swipe at old truck. But it’s more about advancements in technology. Machining tolerances, fuel injection advancements, advancements in oils, and coolants, hoses belts, metallurgy.

But, we couldn’t be here today without the technology of yesterday. At one point old trucks were new tech.

 

My view is less new trucks are unreliable. As there is so much more to go wrong. Older trucks are simplier to fix day to day issues. New trucks have much more that could have gone wrong. Old trucks are much easier for a guy with dick and all knowledge about anything to go fix and learn on. Less you can #### up and much more knowledge avalible to fix any mistakes or outright prevent them.

On a 1 to 1 part comparison. New trucks are typically much more reliable as a whole. Hell even my 579 made it to over a million. And everyone know how much of a dumpster fire THAT peice of #### was.

 

New trucks are definitely more complicated. I can’t argue that. And old trucks have more eye appeal.

 

I dont know. My lonestar is pretty slick and its not old iron....



That said i also think it varies with the new trucks. My old 579 was again a dumpster fire and nothing anyone says will ever make me view paccar in a positive light wver again. Change an alternator with the exact same part. Spend 6 hours troubleshooting stop engine and fault codes only for it to fail and take another 9 hours of troubleshooting as soon as i cycle the engine. Swap out a sensor. Check engine galore ect. Change the actuator for the drivers window FAULT CODES!!! until i reprogram the CCU. Dispite it being an entirely diffrent bloody harness and just a simple motor ugh. I spent almost as much time and money on diagnoseing fault codes as i did on driving it.

My isx so far dispite being the same year usually just bloody works. Had my alternator burn up. Popped a new one on. No issues. Had the CCU fry. Popped a new one on. Spent 15 mins reprograming it and it hasnt failed since. Did an overhead. Oh look it works fine and is perfectly in spec and is staying there.

I think issues like my pete had are where this new trucks are imposible to work on mentality comes from. Maybe my pete was 1 in a million but it left an impression.

 

You like it and that’s all that matters

 

I love new trailers. I cannot lie, but I'll drive old Iron do or die.

 

Just like women. I can appreciate a well built one. Old or new

 

Can't brae what alreadt broke. I just dont like the amount of time it takes to get a wrench to show up, much og the time things are not always as ad as they seen. I have taken UBERS to get parts and been back on the road ia couple of hours.