What should I look for in a new truck?

Thanks for the replies guys. I have been in the field working and have zero service about 13 hours a day.

Anyway to answer some questions. Yes I travel with my crew that is paid by the hour. We don’t break the speed limit but want to travel as fast as legally possible. Any fuel savings going slower are outweighed by more crew wages. For whatever reason it also seems we are often going places that you have to drive hard to make it in a day.

I did buy the truck used. I have no idea if it has any limiters. I have changed the fuel filters on it several times and never noticed a change in power. The most recent filter change was 4,000 miles ago.

It has a 10 speed. I looked in my paperwork and it is 430 HP, 3.36 rear end, 234 wheelbase, 38” bunk. Tires are 22.5 LP.

At 70 mph it is around 1500 rpm. It doesn’t seem to have any rev limit I can go up to 2000 rpm though I don’t. On flat ground I have had it up to 85 on I-10.

What happens is I hit a small hill and speed and rpms drop. I shift to 9th at about 60 mph and speed drops still, sometimes I have to hit 8th. Some of the hills between Junction and Kerrville are probably the worst hills I encounter and I will slow to around 45 on them.

The truck has no DPF and is straight piped with 7” stacks.

I guess I need to search for a shop to check it out. Do I need an independent one? There is a CAT dealer in my town can they check/tune the engine? I drive by it all the time but all I see there is a bunch of heavy equipment.

 

Also I forgot to add the truck has 850k miles. The motor had a platinum overhaul at around 700k I think - before I bought it.