Questions for my first truck (Volvo)

Definitely do not buy a deleted truck. Just about no one will work on it.

If you're buying an older Volvo, I'd stay away from the I-shift. They are $14k to replace.

Truthfully, if you want a Volvo, I'd buy a brand new one. You'll get about three years of mostly nothing more than oil changes. It'll cost you about $3k a month with insurance. You can easily burn up $3k or more a month on an older one just in repair costs, especially with emissions stuff. Or you can plan to be wrenching on the truck every time you come home. Me, I like to park mine in the yard and do other stuff. I did the older truck thing for a while and it wore me out working on it.

 

I have enough in my business account to cover a catastrophic engine failure..however, once my maintenance, tires and repairs exceed 15 cents per mile I will reassess what I am doing.

Ideally if you buy a healthy truck you should figure in at least 10 cents per mile. IMO.

If your monthly settlements (after fuel of course) are 15k that’s darned good considering the current climate. Your personal income is decent also. It’s just your monthly expenses are crazy high..

 

Volvo truck repairs require special Volvo tools I hear. So you probably won't fit to many things yourself. That why only Volvo dealers work is on them. Volvo truck are heavy. I had 2000 Volvo the the 670 pulling dry van I could only scale 43,000. It did have duel 150 tanks and dual exhaust and S60 Detroit Diesel. That heavy engine, they had the fuel tanks way in the back on frame rails because Volvo are heavy on steer axle

 

“If your monthly settlements (after fuel of course) are 15k that’s darned good considering the current climate. Your personal income is decent also. It’s just your monthly expenses are crazy high..”

I had assumed that your expenses didn’t include fuel. In other words, your weekly settlements after your Carrier deducts your fuel expenses. Just guessing you’d be using their fuel card.

 

The scary part about your whole situation, mine and many others is that the income isn’t letting you put enough $ away for the unexpected.. Tows, a run of high cost break downs etc.

Once we have to start taking from our personal income to support the truck it becomes the beginning of the end..

Personally, I’m not going down with my ship.. First time I don’t get paid my salary I will pull the plug and go back to being a company driver.

 

As far as your fuel discount goes get the NASTC card if your Carriers card doesn’t give you a great discount. You can get the card without credit also. You just need to pre load it from your bank account.

As an example, I’m at a Petro right now in Alabama and the pump price is $2.859
With the NASTC card I pay $2.426

That’s an incredible savings.. Don’t just settle on what your company offers you because every penny per gallon you save will help your bottom line. On top of that, using the TA/Petro rewards card gives you another 4 cents per gallon and it adds up quick.

Unlike the other rewards cards TA/ Petro rewards points can be used on anything except fuel. Anything, from the service shop to beer and cigarettes