THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE - DFO gets a truck and hops on Schneider's IC Choice Program

We are told often by the customer that they never told customer service the load would be ready by(pick a time ) and they seem to have made up the pick up times. Never know who is telling the truth. Probably a good thing we don't have a direct number to Customer Service.

 

Sitting here at Seville waiting to head to Carlisle. Too early to leave, it's still too light.

I've been doing more and more thinking about what I want to do at the end of my 1 year lease in terms of trucks.

Honestly, I've lost a bit of sleep over it the past few nights because I'm really torn about what I feel is the best decision for me to make. I know I made a post just like this a while back, but I'm really trying to write it all down so I can read through it again myself and see what seems like the smartest decision to make.

My current truck has been a very good reliable truck for me. The downside is, as its age increases the reliability will decrease. I just crossed 400,000 miles on it yesterday (I first got it with 319,000) and if I remember correctly that means my major component warranty (covers basically the major internals of the engine) has expired.

Fuel mileage leaves a lot to be desired with this truck. If I drive at 60 MPH consistently I can get around 6.8 to 7 MPG with lighter loads. Drop on a 40k+ load and add some hills and the numbers aren't at all impressive. I haul so few of those heavy loads I can't get a good average for those, but I do know that it is low.

I have a feeling several issues are contributing to the low fuel mileage. From some research I've done it looks like the timing wedges that were used when assembling the engines were not accurate enough and its possible for the injector cam to be slightly out of time. This can lead to poor mileage, excess soot, etc. I don't know if it's actually an issue with my engine or not, unfortunately there isn't really a quick and easy way to check, this would be something a shop would have to do.

On top of that my turbo is getting old. I still have the original turbo on this engine and they just aren't million mile turbos. Pretty sure the actuator has seen better days and the nozzle ring that provides the variable geometry is worn and eventually that will need replacing as well. It isn't dead by any means yet, but I can feel it hanging a bit sometimes and I know that it will eventually be time to replace it.

So I look at it this way: If I put a fair bit of money into the truck getting these issues taken care of, which is expected and just maintenance, where does it leave me?

Well, so lets say I go dyno the truck and do a blowby test and find that the engine is healthy. I get a new turbo, get the timing set, and am set up to get better mileage. I refinance for another year through SFI and have a nice low payment, or I go through my credit union, get away from SFI, delete all the emissions equipment on the truck, set myself up to get great MPG, and have a low payment.

The upside to this is obviously the low payment. I can take a lot more time off, not run as hard, sit more and wait for the "gravy runs" as moosc calls them, etc. The downside is, I'm not 100% comfortable with this. Looking at the cost of getting a remanufactured ISX dropped in should the current out-of-warranty engine throw a rod through the side of the block, do I have 35-40k saved up for this? No. If this happens, especially if I'm just financed through the credit union and have no warranty of any kind like the "catastrophic failure" warranty I currently have through SFI, would it probably end me right then and there? Honestly, yes.

If I do my homework and make sure the truck is healthy, the chances of that happening are very low, but it's a chance that is still there and it worries me.

So, other options:

I could just go get another truck (probably a new one this time around) through SFI and run it for a year. Payments would probably be almost exactly the same or maybe a little lower than they are now for me, as I would opt out of the SFI maintenance account since I've proven this first year that I can handle it on my own. I really don't want to do this, but it is an option.

My current used truck payment is 690/wk with SFI. I'm not sure what the guys with the new trucks are paying strictly for their truck payment, but I'd guess its a little bit higher since their maint account contributions are lower and they still have about the same total payment as me with my used truck. Knowing this, I go back to Lone Mountain and look at the options they have as I can get more truck without being tied to SFI for the same payment.

Two of them interest me, they have a new Cascadia, with the option to spec them a little nicer which I would definitely choose. You get the gauge package, fridge, heated/cooled seats, etc. These have a 13 speed like my current truck.

$14,000 down, $2,425/60 months (Lone Mountain Spec - 13 Speed)

So that comes to 606/week for the truck payment. Still a bit high, but hey, it is a brand new truck with a full warranty and since Lone Mountain writes them as leases I could deduct every bit of that come tax time.

They also have the new Coronado decked out with an 18 speed:

$16,000 down, $2,595/60 months (Lone Mountain Spec - 18 Speed)

So that payment comes to 648 per week. Little bit higher but definitely get a lot more truck too.

I put in an application with Lone Mountain today and will be interested to see what they say when I hear back from them.

The last, most desirable (but also toughest to pull off due to my lack of credit history) option is to get one of these Glider kits that I have seen on TruckPaper. This Freightliner dealership is building Columbia gliders with N14 Cummins and 13 speeds. Full factory warranty which can be honored at any FL dealership. Its not a fancy truck but it has the two things I want - a pre-emissions engine that I love and a warranty. They have these in Condo and mid roof, I am leaning towards the mid roof in case I ever decided to pull tanker or flatbed, I can always put a wing on there to help with aerodynamics pulling vans.

http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=5105195

I know Freightliner does finance these, but again, my lack of credit would probably make it very difficult. But, I will apply for financing with them as well as the bank and see what I hear back. Never hurts to try right?

I hate to say that I may not be keeping my current truck as I originally planned, but I'm just trying to make a decision here that will prove to be the safest one so that I can continue to do what I love. It does suck because I have paid off a lot of this truck and to just hand it back in... that hurts. I plan to still haul for SNI regardless, overall I'm still very happy with Choice. So who knows... still got 3 months almost to the day left on my current lease so that should give me time, but I definitely need to start planning now.

 

with a limited credit history , that would tend to make any interest higher. Another consideration to keeping the current truck or leasing a new one for the year is it gives you ample time to establish that history like you and discussed over breakfast?

 

Did not know that you could get the Cummins engine in a glider. I know that the glider is getting to be very popular. That does make for a good way to go.

 

The posts on here Dfo are a must read for me daily . I have stated on ttr a couple of times that my decision to get back into trucking was based on my daughter and making sure her transition from hs to college would be secured . Less than a week ago she decided no college and moved out of state with her boyfriend of 2 months . College grant payed for all but her books tossed in the ditch . Heart breaking is not the word to describe the way she has thrown away our 2 yrs of preperation .
Ive been patiently wating for my company to send me to my next build out . Atlanta was the next scheduled project . Along with my daughters decision and patiently waiting for 6 fricken weeks now on planning and permits , drawing unemployment has my mind in overdrive to say the least .

Sni has been on my list of companies to start with , but being left with the family dog has my only family at home lol i am not sure about there pet policy . Tired of waiting i will set out next week to determine my school for cdl and get underway . I am dead set on becoming a O/O as i have seen in the past with family members , all who are now pulling loads in heaven or hell . (Pretty sure that smell that comes around sometimes tells me most of them have tires smelting lol )

All in all DFO your thread along with many others from SNI along with some other companies here on TTR has kept my sanity and decision to truck again solid and upbeat . I can not thank you all enough for being able to have research from personal experiences you people do every day out there on the road .
Once i set out i do wish to run all 48 and Canada . As the song says where i lay my head is my home . Be safe out there .

 

What's the payoff for your current truck after the lease? I think I remember you stating around $50,000....Too bad you can't buy it out right! Sounds like you have your doubts about this truck so in retrospect probably should move on. There is always gonna be risk involved with owning your own truck/business. Could you even bank that kind of coin within another year?

Can you pay off a Lone Mountain lease early or would you have to do the whole 5 years. One good thing about SFI is they only require a 1 year lease with a buyout at the end. I personally would rather finance a new truck that I could pay extra on and pay it off asap.

 

But if remember correctly in a couple years when new epa law goes in effect ,it b illegal to buy a glider. Reason why sni stopped buying them. They also restrict where u can run. Most ports ban them, cali bans them and nj is trying to ban them.

 

DFO, you may want to check with Cummins about the availability of an extended warranty for your engine. In the past, I remember that Detroit offered an extended warranty of up to 3 years on engines that were already a few years old. Cummins may have something similar.

 

DFO you can also get the Coronado in the glider but your fuel mileage won't be that great and as MOOSC has stated they are slowly banning them and the North East is trying to follow CA in regulations. I'd Lease a truck from SFI for a year and build up your credit. Get a secured credit card thru your bank and build your credit.At the 2 year mark you'll have a better track record or longer and have more options as far as financing.

 

i would look into the gliders myself, you cant go wrong with the pre emission engines, there are places that wont allow them, but there are still plenty of places that will. as far as the financing it does not hurt to talk to your bank, the truck i just bought the bank gave me the best deal out of anybody, if you have a good relationship with your bank that my work in your favor, and if they wont go for a new glider look into getting a used one, there was one in Ashville not to long ago.