Thinking back on your first truck purchase....

Wish I could help but I don't own it yet...
Start as a lease, that way you will know, "this is the truck I want to make money in." But, lease with an attitude or you'll lose hold of it.

 

I bought my 1st truck and just didn't know a thing about spec'ing a truck. I got very lucky and it was an awesome truck with the right spec'd for what I was doing.

I say it took a good 5 years before I really took things seriously and started keeping track of MPG, repairs and all the other stuff. Before that my mentality was "drive it till it breaks, then fix it" but I was also young and dumb.

I wish I could spec out a new truck, but right now I just can't justify the $150,000 price tag.

 

I have been around trucks now since 1990. spent 14 years turning wrenches in the army guard on trucks and track vehicles.

It really depends on how bad you want to learn the stuff. Go talk to salesmen. See what they have to offer. Go talk to mechanics.

Check out diesel performance websites etc.

spec'ing your truck is just PART of the business of being an O/O. Buying an older truck will be more about setting it up to run in the sweet spot. Pick the speed you want to cruise at and then set up the truck from there. I started to track things about my 6th month of driving. When I was able to start picking up and seeing what was "repetitive" information. In the early 90's, IFTA was kicking in along with the CDL and some of the new "changes" that were coming into the trucking industry. I remember one guy showing me he had 6-7 different state licenses.

If you want 65-67 mph at 1400-1450 RPM. It will depend on the engine/trans/rear combo that you get. Most of the used trucks are pretty well set up for that already. You need to really decide what you want.

A 9/13 speed (most 9's are convertible to 13) will be the most fuel efficient trannies. 10's a close one behind them. 18's and 15's are geared more towards heavy haul.

I'd have preferred 3.55 or 3.58 gears on my truck. But I settled on 3.42's. I've got a 455 DDS60 with 13spd and 3.42's in a Freightliner Century. Another biggy for me was to have an APU on it. It became a must-have for me.

I hope to go pick it up on Monday the 23rd and be under my first load on the 25th.

 

First truck was a diamond reo. Then I went to the cab over kenworth vit Aerodyne. Next up was a peterbilt then back to K Whoopers. My latest is a 2012 w900 that C.A.R.B.legal with the isx in it, 13 speed.3.55 rears. My other one is a black w900 studio just the same as the new one but with a cat and 18 speed . My sisters is a kw t600 with a studio and a cat with an 18 behind it.

 

Tough question really. My first truck was a 1988 Kenworth T-800 that I used to haul auto parts with. I had a dedicated run and a year later bought a 1987 Kenworth T-800 for my dad to drive hauling the same stuff I did.
Bought the second T-800 because I liked the first one so well.

 

the awesome thing about the t-800 is that from the outside you cant tell a difference between the 1988 and the 2012. obviously that is where it stops but its amazing that look has stood the test of time

 

it really depends on what you want to do. i haul rock, asphalt, and contaminated material, but have two trucks. one for the dirt and one for the highway. 89 379 pete 3406-b w/13 speed, 4.11's and tall rubber will out perform all others on the spread or in the fill but geared wrong for the highway. 2000 w900l c-15 w/18 speed 3.55 and lo pro 24.5's for the highway, but is a pig in the dirt.