Should I buy this 387 Pete or wait?

A 387 is a high maintence truck if u ask me it might get better fuel mileage but we have work on alot of them at the shop verse a 386 379. they like to eat up spring shackles and steer tires.

 

the spring shackles i have yet to replace on mine truck, but yeah the tires only last 60-70k. the alignment is off and causes it too go thru tires, co treats the symptom and not the problem.

 

It means You're gonna live in a truck. Afer 3 years you will have eaten when you want to but you'll be broke. Gather up $25,000 Get someone to run team with you and wait to buy a new one. Run it 380,000 mi and trade it in and write it off over the period it would take to get that many miles. Then buy a new one again. Buy a Pete from Dallas Pete with all the bells and whistles and keep it polished and resale value will stay up. If you can average 6000 mi/wk. running team you might make a living.

 

The way Big Ray has it figured you need to get your general feeling switched over to the "how much will I lose by jumping at this." Looks like $.15 for every mile ran & the first time something breaks you are done.

They are not going to run out of used trucks anytime soon & finance guys have to work tomorrow as well. Do not let any dealer try to tell you any differently or push you into buying something just because it is there.

 

Just my thought but .90 a mile i don't know how you can do it. Maybe if you bought the truck and sign on with a co. that pulls flats or step deck that seems to pay more. I have never pulled a dry box because i can't find the money in it. You gotta watch out for some of the buy here pay here guys, you can't trust them all. Like i said just my thoughts. Good Luck

 

my Co. pays .88 plus FSC, and not that great either. 1.12 in todays fuel price. with a 800. mo./pmt its doable till the first breakdown. then i better have some capitol for repairs till a maint. acct gets built up.

 

Based on 8k miles a month (which is very doable leased to a big carrier) :

Truck payment $1840=.23 cpm

Fuel based on 6.2mpg=.45 cpm before the fsc and national average at $2.90

maintenance (your figure will work here)=.07 cpm

insurance thru a big carrier will run about $90 a week=.015 cpm

Add that up and it equals=.0765 cpm break even just for the truck

Until you get your maintenance acct. built up you will do no better then a company driver-some people are ok with that and some are not the decision is up to you, but don't be discouraged ALOT of guys including myself, made it this way and will keep making it this way.

Some will yell that all you did was buy a job but in reality it's an investment, as when maintenance is costs are cut back, mpg's improve, and when the truck is payed off it gets ALOT easier.

The key is keeping your over-head cost's down (I don't know your situation at home with rent and car payments)

The only thing I would reccomend is trying to get the truck payment down. I sent you a PM of a place where to get a good quality used truck with past credit issues not a big factor( I am in no way affiliated with the company, nor am I looking for a referral bonus, I just want everyone to succed at this!)

 

18 cents a mile for fuel ? #### I wish I got 16 miles per gallon with my truck !!!

Maybe I just need a new calculator ?

I keep putting in the fuel 2.929 and the miles per gallon 7 and I get 41.8 cents a mile for my fuel cost!!!

But then I don't know this new fangled math.

 

I would recomend you check with Werner about you buying a truck from some "other location". They might have issues about a fleetless truck. Installing Qualcomm and company logos are usually required. Companies will tend to frown on non fleet trucks. Personally I would see what the company has if you really wanted to own. Perhaps they have a rig that you can own that has been taken out of the lease system because it has above 400k miles.

But be careful. Some companies may drop you if you dont sign on to their flease deal (flease = fleet lease).