Trucks, keep modernizing with the technology? Or keep rebuilding?

When my hand is forced to upgrade we will quit. Not that we will be missed by any means. I still use the old 359 in my sig pic below. Its not restored just a clean working truck. We avg 4000 miles a week I have no want or need for a new one.

 

Give me a B model cat sitting in a Pete long hood and let me turn the screws about 4-5 turns and I'll be happy.

 

We have a hand full of drivers in our 300 truck fleet with post 2008 equip. Most have regretted the purchase. We all knew about the Calif squedule years in advance. If any other state or region tries the same thing it would be a minimum of 5 years after the final regs pass. Hold onto the older equip for now, give the manufacturers time to improve the current product. They will eventually get it right.
Same thing happened to automobiles from 1975 to the middle 1990's. Now they have got it right.

 

-We have a 2005 C15 Acert Cat (1st year of Acert) nothing but problems.
-Neighbor has a 2007 C15 Acert Cat (3rd year of Acert) and he says it's been a good truck no problems.
-We have a 2008 ISX Cummins (1st year of DPF) nothing but problems for the first few years but better now after several repairs and software upgrades.
-We have a '98 M11 Cummins Celect+ and it's been pretty good. Had some ABS issues but not bad.
-Had a '96 N14 Cummins Celect. Had some injector issues early but they seemed to go away.
-Had a '01 DD60 14L. Million miles but no problems other than some oil burned.

some things to remember:
2008 DPF starts
2005 Cat introduces Acert
2004 EGR valves start
1997 ABS required in trucks mfg after this date*
1994 last year for mechanical engines*

*I think*

 

Yes..you are very close

1993 last year of mechanical engines.ALSO 1993 was the last year of MANUAL slack adjusters,(which I prefer) I like my brakes "touchy" which you will never get with auto slacks

 

Mickey, you are my hero. I don't care for anything I can't work on. I don't even like electronic engines. It bothers me that an engine can leave you stranded with a big bill because of... a wire. Or bad ground. Or a computer that went crazy. Or an expensive electronic injector. Or a sensor. Not interested. There is something to be said for dependability.

It makes no sense to me, but I guess I am a dinosaur.

But when I hear of guys spending a mortgage multiple times over to have a truck that is in the garage more than on the road, I am very happy to be a dinosaur.

If you have something dependable that you like and the means to repair it, keep.going and don't look back.

 

I agree with everything FLD said. There was an article in ATHS a few months ago where a guy was driving the same 1969 Kenworth W925 that he bought in 1971. Only on his second motor.

 

As far as the old you make a truck payment or you pay to repair it ......

If you have a 1800 a month truck payment that is 21600 a year you pay out before you eat fuel or pay momma.
I can honestly tell you I have never spent 21600 in any year that I have owned a used truck ever !

If my truck is in the shop I don't have the repair bill and a truck payment rolling up at the same time .
My parts are also more available then the new shiny part that no one ever had go bad before.

One thing I have learned by being out here all these years is being an O/O is no different than being a company driver .
You just trade one boss man for another .
A company man does what the boss says and an O/O with a truck payment does what the payments lets him do.

Myself I don't like working for the boss man or the banker.

 

Many years ago a large fleet owner told me " YOU CAN MAKE PAYMENTS, OR YOU CAN PAY REPAIR BILLS, BUT YOU CANNOT PAY BOTH AND STAY IN THE TRUCKING BUSINESS".
If I am running an older, paid for truck, and have a problem, I do not have to worry about the snatch-back man taking it back to the impound yard.I can park the truck and figure out a solution.

 

Awesome looking truck