Trying to get a truck , need some advice

They call it a purchase program. We call them fleece programs around here because the only one that's going to make out on that deal is the seller. Also, take this into consideration. How long do they keep their trucks before replacing them. Most fleets replace their trucks anywhere from 300k to 500k miles. Why? Because they don't want the headaches that come with the higher mileage trucks. Trucks today are just like anything else. They're not built to last. Hell, the last batch my company got (Peterbilt 389s) before I retired had issue after issue from day one. Sure, they were under warranty. But, the warranty doesn't generate revenue. Of course, you make your money and your spend it how you see fit, but no way I'd incur that kind of debt. Again, trucks are money pits. If you do decide to go forward, you better do a very thorough inspection of any truck you're seriously considering. Pay an independent shop to go over it if you're not knowledgeable enough, and get it dyno'd. See? You'll be spending money on the thing before you even buy it, if you're smart.

Edit: Don't think I'm being crass or trying to pee in your cereal. I'm not. But, as you said, you've worked hard to get to where you are. I'd just hate to see you lose what you've worked for.

 

Welcome, and you came to the right place. Many of us didn't have the luxury of a site like this, and went in willy-nilly and failed miserably. Couple things. A lease purchase favors the company, not you, you get the headaches and on an older trucks, there will be plenty, the company knows this. 2nd, companies have the experience of when to unload a truck, and 500K is on the top end, just waiting for a person like you to come along. Heck, you'd be better off buying a new truck. Volvos are about the same as any truck. I prefer KW, but the lesser trucks( Volvo, FL, IH) don't have the quality build, and electrical gremlins drive most O/Os insane. And no, they may not know what they are doing, Volvo traditionally is the least expensive truck, and probably get a "Bakers Dozen" on that many trucks. You won't listen, we didn't, and learned the hard way, but today O/O is a losing game for most cases. If repairs don't kill it, insurance will. Today, there are so many good company jobs, it's silly to have your own, but if you simply must, go with a KW, you have a shred of resale, not if, but when things go sour. Even a 500K mile KW is better than any Volvo,,

 

Forget the truck, what's the pay?
Without good pay it doesn't matter what truck or the cost.

 

Never, ever assume anything. Hire a mechanic to inspect the truck and look at the maintenance history. A 500K mile truck is going to nickel and dime you to death with parts, labor and down time. Find a O/O spec truck that was owned by a lifelong customer of the dealer that sold it. Get it with under 300K miles with remaining factory warranty that qualifies for an extended OEM warranty.

 

Look around. I saw a 2019 Freightliner with a recent DPF for $29,500.
Sounds like a lot of mountain driving, so how heavy are the loads and how much life is left on the auto transmission? Easy $25k for that if not under warranty.
If you really want to go thru with it, ask to buy the truck you’re currently driving. You know its history & possible upcoming expenses (DPF, injectors, fuel pump, EGR, etc)
Will you be running under their authority & insurance? Can you book your own loads?

 

From 500k to 600k miles you will spend about $30-40k on maintenance and who knows how much downtime

 

NO. NO. NO. NO. NO.
Seriously, are you really considering a "Fleece to own" scheme?
Is either your first or last name "Sucker"?
Are you now, or have you ever been an indentured servant? Well, you now will be!

If the company owns them and are making money with them, why on earth would they want you to take one over?
(Hint: The answer is they hope you will be enough of a fool to pay for all that yourself, and still thank them for it.)

Maybe you will make a profit, but some bean counter has figured out that it makes the company more money to stiff some neophyte to business with the idea that he can make more money this way. Taken as a whole, the company makes more money this way, which means that (as an average), the "fleece to own" drivers have picked up that extra expense. In short, you have less than a 50% chance to make more than you would as a company driver.
Of course, now that you've expressed interest, you are marked. If you don't take this terrible offer, they will cut your miles and eventually get rid of you.

Either way, write back in 6 months and let us know how you made out. Best case scenario is this: You reject this offer, then find a better company to drive for.

 

Don't do it.

 

You are talking about old company trucks. Some companies do a PM service every 50k. They usually sell them off at 600-650k. I assume it has an auto trans. Usually what companies do is put a beancounter ECM tune and send it down the road. Trucks fully loaded, set to lug at 900-1000 rpm. Do you know what this does to a truck? An owner op spec truck with have a pyrometer gauge, and lugging the engine sends the EGTs (exhaust gas temps) through the roof. If you don’t have a pyrometer (most company specs don’t), you’ll probably never know. This is usually why you will see a truck broke down on the side of the road during a long uphill pull.

Another common beancounter practice is to detune the trucks. This causes all kinds of issues with the diesel exhaust filter. $$$$$$$$$.

I”ll be honest with you, personally I would not do a lease purchase with a company I drove for, but I would not by a company spec truck from a company I know nothing about. Because if they tune their trucks according to what the beancounters say, that truck is probably going to drop dead at 600k.

EDIT: For where you are planning to run a reefer (always heavy), you want 500 hp. It will perform better and get better economy than the smaller engines.