Help a virgin oo with truck buying Q&A

read and search many threads on this site.

this site is in many ways trucking for dummies.

question for you is this, you state you don't want a large truck payment, want something reliable and solid, and mpg ? so why have you already narrowed the choice to a pete ? you may well find a kw or make that is perfect shape.

a ecm report can give idle time, a rig dig can give other aspects, have a inspection and dyno done.

 

well for turning radius the t600 is good. first off , the looks are all in to play . the hood offers no more protection or sturdiness/solidness.

 

Have a look at double yellow - has a great thread on transition from company to O/O.

 

This is what I do when looking at a truck. I get the full engine serial #, call a CAT dealer and ask for the warranty history. Make note of the the repair, the date of repair and mileage of the repair, if any. Then I get the last 8 digits of the truck VIN, call the Pete dealer and ask for the warranty history. If you can, get the truck to a cat dealer or have the truck dealer, pull the full ecm report. This should be multiple pages. I would also do the rig dig report as mentioned by skateboardman.

If you are buying this from a dealer, take what they say with a grain of salt. Verify that the mileage is accurate b/c it is low for that year of truck. If the ecm has been changed, the truck may have more miles on it than the what the ecm will say. With that said maybe the previous owner just ran local and in that case the miles may be accurate. You can use the warranty history (if any) to put a timeline together and see if the mileage makes sense. Just be careful not to fall in love with this particular truck, and walk away if you smell a rat.

Overhauls:
An inframe overhaul is fine. There are different levels of inframe overhauls. If the engine seems to run fine, an oil sample and oil consumption between oil changes can give indications that an overhaul is due. Also, if someone says that an engine has been overhauled, make sure that you can verify what has been done.

 

1st things 1st,DONT GET STUCK ON A PARTICULAR TRUCK,for your 1st TRUCK,get that out your HEAD,its like you want a new WIFE,but she has the same old NASTY ATTITUDE

Since this is your 1st truck,it should be all about SPECS,SPECS,and SPECS

You need a Truck thats Reliable and will make you money and not majorly brake you,your 1st 3-4 years of course things will go bust but try and keep them to a minimium,Ex.Radiator,Water hoses,Air hoses,Fuses,Water pumps,yada yada yada and so on and so on,Definitely as the other Op said do a rig dig,get a oil sample,get it Dynoed,NO MATTER HOW GOOD A TRUCK LOOK,OR MAKE YOU FEEL,if the SPECS or Background dont work out,DO NOT,I REPEAT DO NOT BUY IT,

And dont let nobody,DEALER or Personal seller make you FEEL,you have to buy it,or your missing out on a good deal,

I looked over a year and a half,looked over 20-30 trucks,i was so Excited to buy a truck i almost bought someones else garbage,SO THATS WHEN I SLOWED MY ROLL & I SAID WHY ARE YOU IN A RUSH,Thats when it kicked in i would go see a truck and sleep on it,if i woke up the next morning with the same FEELING AND EXCITEMENT,then i knew it was the one if EVERYTHING checked out,if I WOKE UP WITH ANY Doubts,Double Questioning Anything,Id pass on it

As for Overhauls,its all about the operation of the Truck and honestly it can go anyway, Some people get it due to loss of power,some get it because they plan on keeping the truck LONG TERM,they get it done because they rather get it overhauled now verses blowing a block or throwing a Rod,if you look at a truck and it has been over hajled,VERIFY,VERIFY,VERIFY,thru paperwork call the shop who did it,a reputable shop will have records in their computer or filed away,dont take the "o my brother inlaw did blah,blah,blah,blah,blah, story" some people are untrustworthy,not all but some

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE is key,and please dont get caught up in the MY TRUCK verses YOUR TRUCK mumbo jumbo,EVERY DRIVER HAS HIS OR HER OWN PREFERENCE,example im a large guy and KWs are too small for me,i dont like the LONG NOSE Petes,i dont like CATS,parts are to expensive,i like detroits,i like freightliner,

but i own a mid roof INTERNATIONAL,i got the international because it was specd out for what im doing with my Operation OIL FIELD,now i come around to liking the O girl,trucks definitely grow on you over time

Just take your TIME,do like hour doing THIS FORUM IS THE MECCA FOR INFORMATION FOR THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY

THESE GUYS ON HERE ARE TRUCK WIZARDS,you couldnt PAY TO POSSIBLY PUT ALL THIS INFORMATION ON DIFFERENT TOPICS IN A BOOK,

If you dont know the Answer ask,if you still dont understand ask again,

Some may Gripe and moan and Complain about "HEAR WE GO AGAIN" Story but just ignore them and keep it Moving
Others like myself who understand NO MAN OR NO WOMAN KNEW Everything about the trucking business when they 1st started,they may have knew allt but not EVERYTHING,and if they say they did there Flat out telling a story

So make a list,Call around,google,theres a part TTR here where O/O sell trucks all the time,call manufacturers of trucks and contact the company you plan to go with and ask what specs and trucks mostly run there loads,and ask whats the recommended spec for this and that truck,you might be surprised by what you find.

TAKE YOUR TIME AND YOULL BE FINE,remember this is just your 1st truck it wont have the Fancy Bells and whistles you want but once you start making money and saving hell then you can trade up to what you really want,

Wish you the Best Driver

 

If you want a 379 then go for it but you're going to pay a premium for one in nice condition with the right specs. Probably in the $40-50k range. They're cool trucks but personally think they're a little over played and everybody has one. Whatever...JMO.

2000-2003 is a good idea. Sticking with the pre-emissions/pre-ACERT stuff if you don't need to run CA is a wise choice but don't get over enamored with CAT motors in particular just because they look blingy under the hood and there are a ton of CAT fanboys that hang out on here. Cummins and Detroit both made a fantastic motor back in this period with the N-14 and 12.7 Series 60. The 3406e and C15 pre acert are also winners but are not going to do the job any better. Parts are very expensive so that's actually a knock against them. Some 2003 model year trucks already had EGR so you have to pop the hood and know what you're looking for. Not sure about the CAT's.

Transmission I'd look for a 13 or 18 speed for best versatility and engine longevity. Final drive's and wheel/tire size...most trucks setup for highway use are going to be pretty similar. 3.55's are a very common. Ideally you want the engine around 1300-1400 rpms at 65 mph and that's usually what most trucks are setup for. slight variations can be compensated for with driving style.

Outside of that you're looking for one with the right condition and history/documentation. Better trucks you'd be looking at may have already been inframed which will be built into the purchase price. Eventually the motor will lose power and started to burn oil excessively if it is to the point of needing an overhaul. Dyno testing and oil sampling are helpful pre-purchase tests to help determine the motor's health.

If it's the right truck you love driving and are making good money with you'll enjoy spending money on it anyway to make it just the way you want it

 

Ah.... wouldn't "minimal stress" entail staying a company driver?

 

Something to be careful with on a pre used truck. I would say to meet the prior owner if possible. As if you can see his current truck. What to look for? How clean is his current ride? Is he / she presentable? What I am getting at, is that the driver might have all sorts of history, yet alot of that could be fudged with a private individual. So getting to see what kind of person you are dealing with willl help to some degree. If they are a slob, you may guess that they may say they have taken care of it (yet driven it into the ground).

A sales lot may or may not give you a true history as well. They need to sell the truck and may not be able to come up with history either. History does help. Yet what I am saying is, just because you have paper history doesnt mean its true history. A truck sales alot is looking at what come in, can they get it cheap enough to make a good profit. The question that then comes to mind "why did the former owner get rid of that truck cheaply for the trade in?".

If your not a mechanic, find one. Your driving for a company? Go ask the company to do the leg work for you. I am sure they will help you since you have history and are wanting to stick with them when you become o/o. They have mechanics or will know of a good shop that they can ask around. This is the joy of working with others. Get them to help you since you have been helping them.