Planning to build a small fleet, which truck to start with?

Well I sure had a lot more down time with my 07 Freightliner Century with a fresh rebuild when I bought it than I do with my 17 Cascadia with 375,000 miles. I’ve owned it 6 months only but all I’ve done is a wheel seal. Also oil change intervals are much longer on newer trucks. Unless something happens to change my mind I’m done buying older trucks.

P.S. You seem to have done a lot of research on everything. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

The company I work for runs pretty much all older engines, mostly single turbo Cat's and one or two Detroits. Getting engine parts has not been much of a problem, but we broke a crankshaft on a 2ws motor recently and they had to hunt for a crank. Took an extra day or so to get it.

Does seem that Detroit has better parts availability ( at least around here anyway).

 

I know a fleet owner and one of his trucks blew an engine.
He bought another truck on credit, then swapped the engines and let the newly bought truck be repossessed.

 

It sure helps to have a space and ability to do some of your own maintenance.

 

I know one like that, the finance underwriters went after him for fraud, and he spent a little time in county jail for it.

 

No, it applies to all trucks, I have a westernstar sitting at the shop east of here because they cant get the right part from cummins, cummins back ordered it and estimated time for that part is still four days out, this is a 2019 model.

when you are thinking mpg, you are thinking like a driver. Budget for the fuel cost and pad it 5%.

 

That is slimy.

 

Tell me a business I can start with 60k and at the end of the year have over 80k. While taking about 3months off.

 

I can take 60K, put it in the bank and drive for someone else for three months and have 80K... Take 9 months off.