What is the Ideal Peterbilt for a wanna-be O/O

The fuel use isn't as big a gap as you think. I had no problem getting high 6s out of my mechanical cat in my 91 pete.

60k miles @6.5 mpg with an average cost of $2.25 gallon =9231 gal @ $20,770 dollars.
Vs 60k @ 8.0 mpg = 7500 gal @ $16,875 a net difference of $3,895 annually.

What's the annual cost of the combined egr dpf dpf problems? Not to mention the ridiculously high cost of how integrated the electric components in new trucks. A buddy of mine spent over 4k total tracking down a problem with his windshield wipers.

 

Windshield wiper should be driven by air for crying out loud not fancy computers AUGH!!!

That is the problem. Too much over thinking expensive stuff ... when the wipers stick in icing you know #### where to hit em.

 

But, a guy with 1 year in a company truck getting into an unrestricted big Pete, I doubt he'll have the ability to keep his foot out of it.
If you keep up on maintenance, the new trucks aren't that bad, obviously the 2010/2011 have issues, first years of def. But now, I haven't had near the issues with my 2016 that I had with my 2011.

 

Now now. I think that foot will be happy if he did stay out of it.

I myself would wove a unrestricted truck. I think if I hit lotto, I go find one and build a RV showboat out of it breathe fire out of the stacks yea high racing... None of this casterated company ####.

I did have a dollar truck way back when, the fuel pump quit pulling at 116 and you could momentum kick it to 126ish if you time the fuel pump's cut off to a downgrade.

 

Let the OOIDA do there thing with there law suit first. If they win, no elog mandate. If you still want to spend the money for one then fine. But you will not be forced to do it.

 

The only question you have to ask yourself is:
Which truck is faster, A Peterbuilt or a Kenworth???
Everything else is just fluff.

 

An old Pete is a truck to be proud of. But it's gonna require two things. One:Willingness to an almost enthusiastic level of breaking out the wrenches and get your hands greasy. And two: the discipline to keep fuel consumption down. You can run it hard and get under 4mpg, or you can run it with your head and get almost 7.

 

Most of them OLD trucks are like OLD men..... Their still out working the younger ones. Newer truck is nice if you want to run California, but for the most part, a older truck ( not a dinosaur ) is still very capable of putting in the miles, with 0 problems. If I was the OP I would think more toward the 1999-98-97 models, that has been taken care of. But that's just me, and I agree too, fuel economy is a plus!

 

Im partial to the older trucks, but my own age demands that I will need a little bit longer to get to the coast than with a much newer and cushy truck. Eh. I don't expect to be around too long anyhow thankfully. Why hang around when lifting a coffee cup is too much? Much less minding a rig down the road.