Waiting on New Trucks thread.

Basically it’s other drivers and yard trucks not paying attention. And then you go pick up a trailer and it’s like this.

 

This is a better look at that piece that does the cutting.

 

Another thing drop trailers get is folding glad hands. Hopefully, they don’t get damaged so bad a driver can’t leave the lot. This is one of our new trailers I just hooked.

 

In addition to what the others said, guys don't take trailer lean into account. They're looking at the bottom rail, and it's cleared, but they haven't looked up and noticed the trailer is leaning two inches over to the blindside.

Trailers lean when you're more than 45 degrees tractor to trailer, when you're drive heavy or otherwise unbalanced, and due to terrain. One little pothole can shift things just enough so the tail clips the guy on your blindside, bounces off and you won't feel or hear a thing.

Besides a lot of the lots being laid out for 48 foot trailers, we also deal with "106 trailers on a lot built for 100". Instead of 11.5 foot spots, they cut them down to 10 foot to squeeze an extra 5-10 trailers on the property. Which is "fine", provided there's enough space in the asile to work with and everyone parks dead center and straight - neither of which happen. Even if a driver puts the trailer in perfectly, it will ride the plate a little as he uncouples (particularly the yard trucks. It's only an inch or so, but when you're dealing with a 9 inch buffer and lose an inch it makes life tremendously more interesting. Then add in rain/snow, poor lighting, and drivers whose mantra is "good enough" the lots quickly make Mad Max look like a utopian paradise. Good yard jockeys spend their down time cleaning up the yard.

 

I got in the truck buying mode this week and tried on 2 separate units but no dice. Both were 579's with 500 Cummins and O/O specd. The first unit became available, because shocker, the original buyer couldn't get financing. We were just a mere $36K off on where I'd be a buyer lol.

Second one came in closer but we were still $21K off. This unit was 1 of 3 which a fleet didn't take delivery of. All 3 have been on their lot since February. Salesman told me they are paying about $1,500 a month on interest on each unit. He also told me there were 4 units hitting the lot which another carrier backed out on and they have more "room" to work on those units as I guess the original carrier got a better pricing discount. Honestly it was kinda surprising when he told me who the carrier was. It's a carrier that just opened another terminal in the area and one of the better operating ones. But who knows if these were units for expansion or replacement. And no it wasn't Hurriance Express lol.

Bottom line these dealers are in a world of hurt. Sooner or later they are going to have to make substantial pricing cuts or keep paying interest in hopes the market recovers. I mean assume you have 25 units on the lot and each is at $225K each. I assume they are paying at least 8% interest so that's $37.5K in monthly interest expense.

 

I wouldn’t want to be a new truck dealer. Based on your ongoing statistics, the outlook isn’t going to get any better. If someone is sniffing a truck, sales needs to cover the actual dealer costs and send it down the road. Forget chasing margins, at this point.

 

Pick up dealers aren’t any better than big truck dealers . They have hundreds of unsold 2023 plus many are getting repoed well Fargo is paying a premium to tow truck companies to get their repos picked up first so they have a better chance at auction yet nobody is moving on prices of new units .

 

+1.. New pickups are insanely high. Looked at one the other day on causal evening drive. No sooner I get out to look at window sticker. Boom!!! Sales person shows up. So I glance at the msrp price and I about had a heart attack. I told the salesperson very calmly and politely I can't afford that.

 

Which is why one can’t find a new Maverick on the lot. It’s a product most middle-income people can actually afford (starts at $22,595), without an 84mos loan.