I want to be hands ON, how?

Another thing to do is buy filters on sale. About twice a year the parts house will have a filter sale and you can get them for almost half of normal price. I buy my oil in bulk. The oil distributor supplies the roll around container, pump and meter and the oil is about $5 a gallon less than buying it in gallon jugs.

I take any excuse to buy tools. Example: When I did a wheel seal I bought a wheel dolly. Cost me $400. So I probably didn't save any money on that one, but he next wheel seal I did only cost me the price of a seal and my time.

Ask for discounts on parts. Lots of times I can get a discount just for asking. Most dealers or parts houses will also deliver for free.

More than anything keep your truck clean...it helps not only as you roll past the window of the scalehouse but it helps keep your truck in good shape. Find an independent truck wash (not the blue beacon) and pay them extra once in a while to do some deep cleaning. The one I use will let me pull out my ramps and drive the truck up on them so they can clean the undercarraige. Sometimes I borrow a steam cleaner from a friend and do it myself.

 

You've received some great advice. One that I can't stress enough is asking questions when your truck is being repaired and /or just watching them repair it and maybe asking any questions on why something was done after it is completed. You may be paying the hourly rate for this knowledge, but it's worth it. A small shop is invaluable for this. I use two shops, one for technical stuff (hourly) and one for dirty heavy stuff that I know how to do but don't wanna, and I'd get torn up paying hourly (they charge flat rate). The technical shop gets a 12 pack of beer in their shop fridge when they work on it. The owners are fine with that. The other shop not so much. The advice and knowledge, not to mention goodwill I've received over the last 7+ years FAR outweighs the minuscule cost of a few cases of beer per year.
A Series 60 Detroit is a VERY simple engine to work on externally. I changed my fuel pump the other day in a truckstop parking lot. 3 bolts and a couple hose fittings. The water pump is just as simple.
Buy a decent set or a couple sets of larger size tools, with wrenches and sockets up to 1 1/2".
I bought a Harbor Freight 1" air gun a long time ago to do brakes, wheel seals, etc. Brakes are super easy. Use a pair of vice grips to seat the springs.
You gotta get your hands dirty. I was 17 and I rebuilt the engine in my Chevy pickup via a Haynes manual. I'd done little things, but nothing like that. These days you have places like the maintenance section here which would be far more beneficial.

 

I wish something like this existed when I started trucking. I hope you caught on, that while I know how to do most stuff, or can figure it out, I bring a lot of my work to the shops I trust these days. The simple little things on old trucks are what kills you at the shop, not the big stuff. Blower motors, leveling valves, shocks, airbags, etc. Under $100 parts that cost $100 plus just in labor. They are usually the simplest to replace as well. 2 nuts hold most shocks on. Take off 6 nuts with your new tools , put on shocks, replace 6 nuts. You just save $200 labor. As your skills increase, so will your confidence. Trucks, especially pre emission hoods, are easy to work on. Most of the time it's just figuring out how the part comes off (easy if you already have the replacement part in hand). If you want to replace a specific part on a specific truck, post in the forum as a newbie and someone will tell you how. If MOST people are telling you that it isn't a part for a newbie to replace, or isn't worth the special tools or effort, that's probably a take it to the shop item. Watch them do it, to at least try and understand what the majority were saying. There are lots of videos on YouTube describing all sorts of repairs.

 

As others have noted, do what you are capable of doing and leave the rest to a good mechanic. YouTube and Google are often useful. Getting the shop manuals are invaluable.

Regarding getting a good mechanic, there's nothing more frustrating than getting work done at a place where you can't watch and learn, or worse yet end up only talking to a desk jockey and shift changes mean you don't have the A Team finishing the work.

I just bought my first truck after running a truck for an owner here in OKC for the last year and a half. During that time I learned his network of mechanics. Of them I selected the best, not the cheapest. When you take your truck to him the first thing he wants to do is climb in the driver's seat, with you in the passenger seat, and take a test drive. He wants to see, feel, and hear the problem with you. After the work is done we both get into the truck and take another test drive, this time splitting the drive with him at the wheel and then with you at the wheel. Only after you are satisfied do you pay for his services. You are frequently invited to look at the work in progress to see and hear the issues.

Find a mechanic like that. I told my mechanic that he's my guy. In return he discounts parts and labor and I have referred other drivers to him.

 

IMO, wrench turning is fascinating. Especially forced induction.

Anyways, to OP: you don't have to be a master mechanic to save money...you just have to know your truck. I don't do all the wrenching on my truck (TIME...my time is more important than money) because sometimes, it saves lots and lots of time to let a shop do the wrenching. Now, the BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGG mistake drivers make is when they take a truck to a shop and have no clue about their truck. You are allowing complete strangers to experiment with your bank account. They can easily destroy your savings.

Funny thing about truck parts...would you believe that in many cases, upgraded parts are the same price or cheaper than OEM dealer prices? So, if you have to replace parts, look around for upgrades.