New 'used' truck advise

well it has a lot to do with what you like, me myself like kws and petes with cat motors but there are some cats that have alot of problems around in the 2005 models. But I still rather have the cat, stay away from the mercedes motors havent heard to much good on those from some friends. I like the internationals better than the freightliners myself but you find the truck you are looking for good luck

 

I would go to a few used truck dealers in your area and check out EVERYTHING they have, Freightliners, Internationals..whatever. You might climb in one that you REALLY like. Don't choose a brand based on what someone tells you. Sit in one, test drive it. You may not be "looking for" a freightliner or international but you can't pass up a good deal because of a brand name. I test drove 2 w900's a 379, a BIG western star and a International 9900i but bought a 2k Freightliner, Big cat, 13 spd, long wheelbase. Nice truck. I got a really good deal on it. Go look around and hand the dealer your drivers license and TELL him what trucks you want the keys to and go to town.

 

A while back I bought a KW.It had 300,000 miles on the odometer.The thing that sold me on the truck was that it had an out of frame major only 10,000 miles prior.The dealer had all records showing the work done by an authorized Cummins repair shop.The truck wasn't pretty but at least I knew the drive train would last.A pretty truck may grab your attention but it won't get far if the drivetrain is on it's way out.Maintainence records are very important.If they can't be found,make sure the dealer extends the warranty or reduces the price.When shopping around,have a mechanic or hire a mechanic to do a good inspection of the truck.Cosmetics can be fixed cheaply,drive train issues are big bucks.Long haul trucks have some pro and cons.A pro would be less shifting,less stopping and starting,and less braking.A con would be excessive weight hauled and terrain,flat land or mountains and excessive idling.City trucks may have less mileage but different problems.Poor roads,stop and go traffic,heavy clutch and transmission use,more braking.You may find a good price for either but I would be inclined to see a maintainence record or a mechcanic inspection.

 

You've been given some pretty good advice so far, but there should be a "location caveat" invoked ... in your area you've likely got pretty limited choices for sales and servicing of some brands.

The location aside, I went through this exercise about a year ago and ended up negotiating the purchase of a truck, sight-unseen, from a dealer in Iowa. I researched dozens, seriously considered about five, and actually put a fully-refundable deposit on three before pulling the trigger on the one I have now. Some non-negotiable items were; complete maintenance records (absolutely no gaps ... no excuses), a complete mechanical inspection at a third-party facility including onboard computer printout, dyno, blow-by, etc., a clean registration history (Carfax worked great), warranty reports from both truck and engine manufacturers, etc. I also had a full chassis inspection done (I forget the name of the company ... it's a nation-wide service).

I ended up with a 2003 Freightliner Classic with 430/500 Detroit S60, 13 sp and 3.55 rears. I saved a bundle of money compared to buying local and, except for a couple of minor issues (things I probably should have changed immediately), the truck has been outstanding.