What truck do you recommend for a new Owner Operator who just got their CDL?

So powerful they can make it up any hill in Ohio...

 

Certainly the new ones can....

 

And the olds ones - all but one hill

 

I agree the pie is big enough but ... here is the thing I am driving at.

This is a hard business to learn for many, a lot get into it because it is easy to do, put some money into a truck get insurance and you are making coin.

I tell people before they even think of a truck is to get their house in order and start figuring out the goals, the needs and the means on how to handle money.

Just because you and others can do it, a lot can't even figure out what they are doing.

I tell people don't get emotional over a truck, it is a truck and it is steel, aluminum and copper. Worry about getting one that works, get a dyno, get a blow by test, and so on. Pick out a few, they are out there, just have to look and take it serious. Take a look at those and test one or two, don't trust the seller see it for yourself.

That is from buying a lot of trucks but guess what?

a lot of people don't want to listen to that, they go out and look for a truck like they look for a car - color, brand and so on matter more than anything else.

They get the first thing that looks good, and don't want to put the $1200 into testing the truck.

Hell, there are those who don't get how to manage money and how to deal with planning their business, more often fail and these are the majority of the people buying trucks trying to make big bucks.

Just reading this forum, we have people who ask where to find loads after buying trucks.

Really.

AND I tell people to get some road experience because there is nothing worst than a driver in a truck who acts like they are in a car, cutting people off, speeding and acting like they own the road. Many of these people can't even figure out where dip stick is and do not do pre-trips (don't beleive me? try interviewing drivers).

So this is why I am a broken record, I can't teach people who want to just have their ideas qualified, I won't, I will warn them they will fail, they will become that 80% startup failure numbers, it is bad but not as bad like food service which is at 95%.

Imagine 10 of you start in January and 2 of you left at the end of the year.

I work with a few commercial lenders who underwrite loans for trucks, I get to talk to them every week, they throw offers of single trucks and whole fleets to me and others who do what I do, every week, not every month but they are getting either repos or having an owner (single or fleet) that comes to them to get help because they are over their head.

So I come off as a negative nancy because of what I am seeing, but then if you all want to just have the positive "sure come on in, the water's fine" while the sharks are circling the guy telling you that, I will start just saying "sure it is alright, great idea".

 

If you are considering a Freightliner, Than you don't have enough experience

 

@Ridgeline you are right in everything you said yes. And I would like definetely for people to tell me the way it is without sugarcoating anything. But there is different caracters in this world. Some are happy to help, some are happy to see you fail and say "I told you so" after the fact. Some people know how to teach, others dont have the patience or dont see purpose in that.
Me personally it makes me happy when someone else doesnt brake a foot on the same rock as me. Being good person always comes back to you, its what I belive in.
There is a lot of usefull information here and Im looking forward to learn from you.

 

I think being the good person in this case is telling him to drive for someone else for a few years before being stuck under a truck payment. A person doesn’t just go buy some groceries then open a restaurant.

 

I have to disagree @Gumper. They might think thats good but definetely didnt come out that way.
Quotes:
if you just got your cdl, why the heck do you wanna buy right away? you better go lay down till that thought goes away.
you need a few years under your belt before you know if this career is what you really want to do.

A company truck. Learn how to drive the thing before turning it into a business.

The one owned by a company. A fresh CDL is not the time to by a truck... Go get 250k miles under your belt and learn the business alittle more before you jump into the fire. Just my $.02

None do not buy right out of the gate you will go broke learning the ropes so don't be a dope.

I mean how can someone figure out what is someone capable of because they said "I just got CDL I want to buy a truck"??
I might have a brother trucker, maybe my friend has insurance company, maybe Im reading this forum for 3 years, maybe I was a broker before, maybe I was a shipper before, maybe im better driver than anybody here, maybe I was the best in my business class, maybe maybe maybe.

This is what I would say if I knew what i was talking about :"I was driving new Volvo truck and it didnt give me any problems but small things for couple years. You might try Cascadia Ive heard they run good and are cheap to fix. Make sure you check it before you buy it or pay someone to come check and test the truck with you. Be sure you have good business plan before you start you need to know your stuff"


Thats what some people will never get. Im in my middle 20s and I know better than most of the people here.
Looking every way, every day there are more examples of how not to do things. So not doing what they have done increases your chances big time.People will rather laugh then help, if you think that will cure some traumas and scars go ahead. But deep inside you know that that bad luck doesnt come out of nowhere.
I dont want to lecture anybody here this became too long. God is great thats all i know

 

Yes but God is not going to directly help - no matter what you think.

The reason people are suggesting getting experience is simple - it increases you chance of success and will help you to not #### everybody else because you don’t know what a load should/needs to pay.

I know that everyone thinks they are the exception and in the top .5% - it just isn’t the case. I don’t know you at all and I would a sizable chunk that you are closer to average than closer to the top.5%.

The reason is virtually everyone is.

 

I didnt mean God will directly help. I meant being good person always comes back to you. If not something else you sleep better at night, it just how energy works. I wouldnt go into business knowing nothing and pray everything turns right.
And about you assumptions betting sizable chunk that I am average just proves my point all along, maybe I am below average. You dont know me and you have no idea who I am and what I am capable of, you dont know my business, family, employment or any other background. Im just saying maybe some people have some edge over others that you dont know about and you cant just asume things. So keep your "sizeable chunk" and use it to grow it and have better life. Going around and just asuming things and being all negative never did any good to anyone.