Time to buy a new semitruck, but not sure what brand

Well, Your getting "GOOD" solid advice from these guys basedinMN........

Sure you'll get better fuel mileage- But in long term scheme of things, newer trucks will cost you more in the long run- especially if your looking hard at numbers- take the advice these guys give you-

We have over 100 years combined experience- those guys know what they are talking about.

 

Well @basedinMN_ thats Interesting, if I recall you stated "I dont know why some of you are out here in this business?...."

Me responding to a ridiculous question or statement like yours is what you call arguing? I just call that math and simple common sense.

Like someone else here said, if $2300 means that much to you in a years time to where it makes you walk on egg shells, then you're in bad shape.

But hey, someone has to haul that cheap ### freight with cookie cutter trucks, might as well be you and Kevin Rutherford, right? You lost, next.

 

Fuel is an expense that allows you to make money. Down time and repairs due to unnecessary ABS, emissions, auto transmissions and all that other crap are expenses that PREVENT you from making money.

Repairs and associated down time will eat that paltry $2375 in a heartbeat

Just because it's fresh in my mind......A headlight assy for a T660 is about $500. A sealed beam for my '98 T800 is $15.

Not to mention if you are in a delivery sensitive market with crane appointments you might lose your customer of you have a service failure. Reliability is everything IMO.



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Well said Rank.

This does not mean that older trucks are necessarily less expensive to operate. It takes a person that is in tune with every smell, sound, and feel that a truck has to keep on top of things that can shut you down.

For the astute driver this can lead to much less downtime, and managing maintenance and repair on your schedule rather than that of the dreaded check engine light.

Many of the fellas here that run older trucks do not do it strictly for a lower cost per mile, but more for reliability and a better return on the investment in equipment. Many of them also have the ability and resources to work on the truck themselves, which can be a nice break from the monotony of life on the road. In essence they are paying themselves to work on their equipment rather than giving it to a shop @ $150 per hour.

When you have to chase miles to make it the joy of trucking disappears in a hurry.

 

Yes. I had the ScanGauge in it. It was a 2012 Peterbilt 386 with Cummins, 2.64, 6x4, Direct drive.

 

I pull a reefer.
Specialized segments pay very well. The problem is that the high pay provides an incentive to not be as efficient as possible. What happens when someone sees the opportunity to do what you do and chooses to pursue efficiency and profitability aggressively? They will drive down the cost where you can’t compete. The competitor will put you out of business because you got comfortable with the status quo. The heavy haul and oversized segments are just begging for someone to jump in and bring some competition. The general trailer types van, reefer, and flatbed already see the affects of pushing efficiency to the limit to push out their competitors by being able to do it cheaper. Cheap is not a bad thing. All that matters is that I’m making my profit targets. I want to be able to haul the cheapest and have the highest level of profit.
All segments are doing great right now. It never stays that way. That’s why I got the new truck spec’d the way I did. I have a new trailer ordered that will be here in March. I spec’d it for maximum efficiency as well. When rates come falling down, as they always do, I’ll still be able to make profits.

 

The reason that specialized segments pay very well is that they require a level of service, reliability, knowledge, ability, and specialized equipment that are unavailable from the mile chaser segments.

Many have tried to break into the heavy haul segment because of the obscene profits that they think are there, only to find themselves out of business because they had no idea what was required to perform to that level.

 

Yeah, I think some try it about everyday in our line of work, and everyday theres another idiot that tried to be "efficient " and failed hard in this line of work. Everything from cutting miles off routes and taking shortcuts (that can cause wrecks and damage to public roadways), all the way to specing equipment cheaply to avoid spending money on proper equipment that cost huge money.

The old saying "pay now, or pay later...but you're gonna pay" when I see these guys with "efficiency "(greed) as their top priority, that saying always comes to my mind.

 

There’s a difference between efficiency and controlling costs versus cutting corners. I work hard on efficiency and cost cutting but I don’t cut corners.

 

That's a matter of opinion. You already tried assuming that heavy haul work needs competition. I dare you to bring a truck with a 2:64 rear gear and a direct 10 speed to haul heavy lol

Truth is, most guys that do the big stuff are already about as efficient as possible nowadays. There isn't much 3412, 3408 or K series Cummins running around anymore. All they have to choose from is garbage in these new trucks.