Need to buy a used single axle tractor. What engine?

Hello gentlemen I'm new to the forum and have a few heavy duty trucks on the road for my construction company. At this point, all of my trucks have been pre emissions trucks and it looks like that's going to have to change as it doesn't seem like I'm going to find an older decent truck. Only truck I've ever owned that had any emissions on it was an International truck with the 6 liter that ford used in there pickup trucks and it was nothing but problems. We sold that truck and replaced it with an older truck that's been trouble free. Anyways, I need a single axle tractor with an automatic transmission which is tough to find as it's going to be driven by novice cdl drivers. I also need something with decent power as it will occasionally used to pull a 15 ton trackhoe sitting on and 20 ton tag trailer that weighs roughly 5.5 tons. I've found a few nice clean used tractors on truckpaper that were 2004 to 2007 model years. A few of them had a mercedes MBE900 engine and a few with the international dt466. I really don't know anything about the mercedes engine but I know the dt466 engines were reliable engines in the pre emissions years. Is there anything I should steer clear of when it comes to emissions engines? Honestly, I'd be happy with a pre 2003 truck that had any smog stuff but that's not easy to find. I just can't afford to buy a truck and have it sit in the dealer while they try and fix it for $100 an hour. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Those two trucks didn't come up on the search I did for cabover non sleeper units. I'm wondering why? The international is under cdl and won't work as it probably won't have air brakes and still has emissions as it's a 2005. The 96 looks like a decent truck and that 8.3 is a good engine. Kind of old though.

 

Automatic is a must. Employees are hard enough to find these days and one who has a cdl and can drive a manual is impossible.

 

Rollin coal, I totally agree with you. I've been in business for 20 years and our labor force has completely flipped upside over since I started. No one wants to work these days. I really wonder how much longer I'm going to be able to stay in business, it's that bad. I have to make everything idiot proof as no one takes pride in there work, hence the automatic transmission.