How Much Would You Spend on a FIRST Truck?

Today I am going in to a local bank that has given me a verbal comittment over the phone that they would finance me with one year experience as long as my FICO score is over 700. I am going to see if they will finance me for a '08 Freightliner cascadia with 116,000 miles on it for 82,900. THey told me I could get 7.75% for 60 months. We will see. They want 15% down.

I am still not convinced on a newer truck, BUT I cannot seem to find good condition used trucks. They all seem like they have been beat to death and then some. Maybe its because all these dealers seem to have is Fleet trucks, where the company drivers don't care and just trash them. Where is a good place to look for trucks that are for sale privately by o/o's?

 

Maybe try Truck Paper,......

 

I don't understand how this can be substantiated. There's been no appreciable increase in freight or logistics that I can see....

So why the increase?

 

well there's surely have been a turn around in the economy though.. i've been looking at homes since november, and i had pick of the litter, 5bd, 3ba for 200K, foreclosed homes all over my state, get six acres for 65k, but i'm sure everything is on the turn around now, cause i can't find the homes anymore.

been watching the getloaded and noticed flatbed freight has been climbing from .95 to 1.50 there's guys with contracts on here saying they've been getting paid pretty good for the mile.

you'll read one thread where some guy on the west cost is battling NAFT for 1.15 and then another guy in the north east will mention 400mil trips at almost 2.00mi.

my dad said he's been wide open running crush cubes from salvage yards in north florida back to port of tampe since mid Feb.

there's a definated turn around, just haven't made it to most o/o's and l/o.

 

We bought two '04 Columbia's for $11100.00 a piece on Ebay. 600,000 mile range, fleet maintained, and in very good condition.

 

I am with Gears on this, besides a dealer can ask anything they want to for a used truck. However what they get for the thing or get stuck fixing is completely different.

Live in Truck Paper & learn as much as possible. You will see a ton of different specs, the too good to be true sort & price variables between dealers pending what they may or may not take care of. Get to know your local dealers & let them know what you are looking for. You may get a call about something they took on trade the day before & be able to check it out before anyone else & before the dealer has too much wrapped up in it.

 

I'm with Gears and LBZ as to the truck prices.

Choose model, mileage,engine,trans then search like crazy and see the average min./max. pricing.

I looked at 2 similar trucks,everything the same
( VERY SIMILAR PRICING). One was clean as a whitstle, not beat up on the inside, the other had burn holes everywhere, cabinet doors falling off, no carpeting, seats falling apart,broken refrigerator.
They both looked great in the pictures.

Found another last Fri. the 12th, looked it at 11am, almost mint condition, drove home and called to schedule to come back with a deposit at 12:30pm and it was sold, somebody arrived w/cashiers check, and drove it home.I asked if the guy looked at it before, owner said "no, looked it over for about an hour and paid for it".
They must have been arriving as soon as I left.

Hard to believe pricing is going to increase if a truck isn't worth it, plenty of trucks out to compare/purchase.You might have to travel 8-16 hours IF a truck is found that you are interested in buying.

 

I too am a fan of an older truck. Competition to sell trucks is very strong these days in the buyers perspective. No one has money, so if a dealer really wants your business they will work on it to make it happen. But be wary of poor sales persons.

Casing point: I contacted Warner Freightliner of SLC Utah and asked questions about a specific truck. Got a response back about most of the info but the salesman said they didnt have any way to let me see a video of the engine running. Uhh how did you get the digital photos for the posting of the ad? The salesman forgot this and wanted to put my name on perspective buyer. Reminded them that they were yet to supply info and was waiting on that info. Truck is still for sale and I am still getting stonewalled by a sales man that doesnt have enough motivation. So beware.

Otherwise, something to keep in mind.... There is some EPA law out there that I have seen hinted at but nothing affirmative about when and if it WILL happen. By a certain date in the near future, truck engines will be required to be replaced with newer ones to make them more efficient. So if you buy a used truck, ask the dealer if the engine has been brought up to the new EPA code, and if not, what will it take to make it?

 

I think trucks in CA will eventually have to be brought up to snuff to meet all their requirements, but to impose that on the rest of the country? I don't see that happening in my opinion, unless the government comes up with subsidies to help make it happen.

 

Can't tell you how much to spend for a first truck but here's a good rule of thumb. The truck payment and insurance should not exceed $1800.00 per month. You can put a pencil to it and unless you want to live in that truck it won't be far off. 12000 miles per month at .90 cents a mile is $10800.00. 1800 leaves you $9000.00 for fuel,maintenance, pay your bills at home, save some money for you and the family(?) and to live on the road. Better think twice about an 1800.00 a month truck payment. Find a good used truck. Go thru the truck paper one dealer at a time if you have to. I know where there's a 2003 Pete 379 exhd with 813000 for $25500. I know where there's a 1996 377 Pete with 55000 miles on a complete in frame for $14000.00. I would buy that 96 Pete and go truck, but that's just me. If I was leasing to a company I would go with the 03 Pete. Most companies now want a truck 7 years or less and the 03 fills the bill. Thing about it is you gotta figure out how much you need to provide for your family or yourself than figure out how much truck you can afford. Base the truck payment on .90 cents and forget the FSC. Put it in the bank. JMO