Need advice on buying trucks

Can you get a Freightliner serviced under warranty in Eastern Europe? Or would you have to tow it to someplace like Germany or even ship it back to the USA? Sure, there ARE shops in EE that will fix you up if you have a problem. But will it be (mostly) paid for by Freightliner?

 

Are you sure you want to send over US trucks? I have a home in Czech Rep., all truck there are cabovers. Most are single axle. The ease of getting around in 1000 year old streets with a cabover is much better. Also, trucks there get better fuel mileage than ones here. Have you checked that you can pass technical controls there with older US engines?
Also is it financially fiable to buy and pay for shipping, import fees, and control inspection fees.
I shipped over a dodge mini van. Cost me about $4k for the whole process. I'm would think a tractor would be much more.

Just wanted to make sure you concidered all these things.

 

I agree with Kajun. The streets are awfully narrow in western Europe, and I'd guess they're just as narrow in eastern Europe. A Scania or MAN COE with a single axle is probably what you're really looking for. If it costs more than 5 grand to ship each rig to Europe from the USA, I KNOW you wanna go with one that is already there.

If you're looking for trucks to use just in some sort of inland port or container facility, maybe one of those little yard dog trucks such as an OshKosh is what you're looking for.

 

First, let me point out that Reuven (Belanova) has not been on for well over a week now. So, in essence, you guys are answering each other, not the original poster. As far as what types of trucks, the preference for American built trucks came out of the differences in currency between there and the current decline in the value of the US dollar. In basic terms, he gets more for his money buying here, even calculating in the shipping costs. Best guess would be that he would purchase the trucks off the east coast, have them delivered to a seaport for shipment there, and transship the trucks across the Atlantic, into the Med, up through the Bosphorus Straits into the Black Sea, and unload at the port of Odessa.

He had specific requirements for his trucks, and I worked with him for several weeks on setting up the specs, hp, trans, sleeps vice day cabs, and possible buying locations. We also went heavily into the potential service issues of the trucks on that side of the ocean, as well as what parts support he will need to operate them. Quite a few very long pm's went back and forth as we worked on this, and though I haven't heard from him in about a week and a half, he did have numerous contacts, all along the east coast, that could provide him with fleet quantities of trucks that would meet his needs.

 

Good info. With the supply of used trucks being what it is in the US, I'd have to say it probably wouldn't be a better market in Europe, supply-wise. And with the dollar going slowly down in value, one could just wait 6 months and he'd probably get a truck or two free out of those 50 he buys just in US currency drops that will happen in that time. Wait a year and he may be able to buy 50 with what he'll need for 45 today.

It really does depend on what the streets look like, but if he's even asking about LWB American rigs, they must not be too long for what he needs them for in EE.

 

Can you even drive a class 7-8 overthere? I have seen a few of their trucks and, a. they are all short wheelbase cabovers and b.most seem to be expedite/hot shot truck with a dolly pulling a pup. Not even close to the size of ours..Am i wrong?

 

About 8 months ago, I converted a lot of my money to a popular stable foreign currency, and that move is paying off big-time. I know exactly what you're saying in your post--it has suddenly become much cheaper to buy American goods using foreign currencies, meaning maybe the recession that is forecast for 2008 won't hit after all. Solo OTR's fate may not be sealed. Get ready to make lots of deliveries to ports.

In your case, Rueven, the only questions remaining are "Where will you get the trucks serviced?" and "Will that service be under warranty?"