The Importance Of Which Truck You Drive

Funny how they mention resale but don't say anything about how much more they will pay for the parts and for the Paccar product...
Rollover was also compairing a longhood pete or kw to one of freightliners POS aero throw-away trucks, so actually you'd make out better with the freightliner being that you probably paid less than 100k for it...

 

If we are talking used trucks yeah you'll get anything below $100,00 with 05 Petes going for $60,000 down and FL 05 at about $35-%50,00 Miledge at apx 500,000 and depending on condition and greed of the dealer!

New trucks actually go to the dealer and price a truck and get the shock of your life! Freightliner Casadia $120,000-$150,00 (company setup) Peterbuilt Premium Unicab (cheap sleeper) O/O specs $125,000+ 238" WB! Don't have the KW prices. Prices are down due to the "recession"!

Show me the deal! And FL and PacCar parts are basically the same as they all come from the same manufactures! It's what is specked on a truck! Petes can have Eaton or whatever transmissions the same as a FL. Look at all the name brands on a truck write them down and walk over to another truck! you'll see Bendix, Eaton, Splicer, Fuller Cummings, Cat,Detroit. Even the shop prices are the same now reaching $90 an hour and up! That argument about Petes costing more for parts is a fantasy!

You apparently haven't priced a Mack have you? THATS a high priced truck to keep running as they do manufacture their own parts and charge for them also! I almost bought one back in 85 until my buddy showed me the costs of parts! I really did like the old Mack until I saw the cost comparison! The same with International. I LOVE this new Lone Star or whatever that thing is with the big grill and factory Murphy bed! But it's $160,000 stripped!

I want a truck that the interior won't fall off into the floor! I want a truck I can use a screw driver on to tighten the interior parts so they don't rattle! I want a truck with a solid body. I want a truck that might survive a rollover because the cab is all aluminum/steel and structurally sound!
The cost new for most trucks is about the same (Western Star excluded!) The reason most of these companies buy FL is they are set up for them in the shop! Also drivers these days just have to have everything including the kitchen sink in the truck with them and that's why they prefer a FL because of all the storage space not thinking what they have to do with all that crapola when they get fired or quit! I can get everything I need to live on in both a Pete or KW with room to spare. Nope I don't play well with others so I don't team! Even with my wife! Space isn't an issue to me!

FL also has more shops open nation wide. Peterbuilt thinks that trucks stop at 5:30 and there are only a handful of them open 24 hours. BUT you do not have to go to a dealer for repairs! I'd rather go to the ENGINE shop like Cat or Cummings, or Detroit! In and out faster and your warranty will hold up. You can go to a FL with a Pete or KW. Pay the cash then reimburse the warranty. That's why you have that "escrow" account in YOUR OWN bank!

As I said and can argue, trucks are about the same in base price until you add all the bells and whistles such as longer wheel base, sliding 5th, air ride and air dump, air ride front axle, aluminum wheels and tanks, horns out the yazoo and high dollar seats that do every thing except fulfill your wildest dreams!

There was a time about 3 years ago that FL was actually selling at a higher price than Peterbuilt but no one wanted to cash in on that due to "driver demands" I wish MY company had done it as I would have been in heaven! Yeah, the Cascadia rides like a dream and handles like my car with that rack and pinion steering and Volvo is supposed to be the same even the new KW 660's.
In the long run it still boils down to your taste in a truck and what the company you drive for wants to give you, but to me ..................

"There's no feeling like that Peterbuilt feeling!"

Good Luck
Rollover

 

I drive them all, but I still have my favorites.

 

By the way, its spelled peterbilt. Being the fan that you are I'd figure you'd know this.

My responses are in between the >><<. They were suposed to be in red but it didn't work....sorry!

 

I also wanted to state this....Its your money spend it anyway you want!

For the person who started this thread, go where the money is not the truck. You'll see alot of guys driving up the road in a big pete, thinking they are cool getting 25cpm while your driving a FL or volvo getting 35-40cpm laughing all the way to the bank! Sorry but cool doesn't pay!

 

I can't believe I let spell check do that to me! LOL. Hey I've been paid in the +30's driving a Pete! it's companies like CTI that think .30 is good pay! And yep whatever pays the bills1! And yes cool can pay the bills if you know how to run and keep the left door closed!

 

Speel chek is overrated...LOL

Sorry I don't care how cool you look, at the end of the day you can only run so many miles and 10cpm is gonna make a big difference at the end of the week.

 

Right now I'm thinking .10 a mile is great! This crapola that these companies are doing hiring only trainees is getting depressing! I actually had a company today tell me I had TO much experience! WTF no training required! Just throw me the keys fuel card a box of trip paks and show me what paperwork you need to do! I can do the rest without having to hold my hand! God I hate cancer and where it put me!

Ok I'm not going to hijack the thread! LOLOL

 

Never thought you'd hear someone say..."you have to much experience" did you?

I'm gonna assume you beat the cancer, so thats a good thing, regardless of where it put you!

 

I like the classic look off the petes and kws, but that classic look will not give you the mpgs needed to survive in this economy.
High horsepower fuel guzzling engines from just a couple years back are out. o/o today have to be very smart and resourceful
to stay afloat in todays trucking market, and I wish them the best of luck!