Where do you buy your trucks from starting out?

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by mtclex, Mar 26, 2025.

  1. Rideandrepair

    Rideandrepair Road Train Member

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    You don’t mention an area you’re looking. Certain cities have a lot of choices through competition. Grand Rapids, Indy, Ft Wayne, Nashville, Birmingham, Houston.
     
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  3. North Pole Nightmare

    North Pole Nightmare Heavy Load Member

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    There's thousands of trucks for sale around Houston.You could find anything you're looking for around there.
     
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  4. 201

    201 Road Train Member

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    That's a bit unsettling, and kind of blows my theory out of the water. I would say the same thing about a struggling company. Bound to cut back on service, but most O/Os I knew, really cared about their trucks, and since most were paid for, if the money wasn't there, they merely parked them. Like anything today, buyer beware, because there IS a lot of junk out there, and sadly, what I call the "generic" trucks( Volvo, FL, Int) are the worst targets for lack of maintenance, because the owners know they aren't worth much.
     
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  5. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    Well, never trust, always verify. Just look around at who are o/os now, my god some of them don't understand what an oil change is, so yes, never trust, always verify by doing the right form of Due Diligence.

    As you know, this is a tool, it isn't a girlfreind, or something you tuck into bed at night or brush it like a cat, it is a tool. You don't buy rusty junk that have been beaten to work on a car, you buy the new shiny tools that will hold up to stress.
     
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  6. Tug Toy

    Tug Toy Road Train Member

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    2 of the 3 I have were bought outa company parking lots. They were trucks being timed outa the fleet. Course they were both around $10k trucks. One I’ve put 1million miles on. The other is just my RV hauler. Parked my 10 year old (to me) truck yesterday to start driving something I bought at an auction for like $2k… But you better know how to swing a wrench?

    A truck in my mind is either brand new or scrap value wise. Not much in between in my opinion…
     
    W923, 77fib77, 201 and 2 others Thank this.
  7. bad-luck

    bad-luck Road Train Member

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    Truck paper, your local facebook marketplace
     
  8. Phantom307

    Phantom307 Light Load Member

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    By any chance, would you recommend a Western Star?
     
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  9. Phantom307

    Phantom307 Light Load Member

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    Hell yea, I bought the Nightmare Mack, the price and the truck were too good to be true.
     
  10. Iamoverit

    Iamoverit Road Train Member

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    You're both right. It could go either way. As long as the buyer does their due diligence the rest will be what's normal for the age/mileage of the unit in question.
     
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  11. abyliks

    abyliks Road Train Member

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    a real western star yes, these rebadged freightliners just go with the cascades, I’m sure they have odd ball parts in them that aren’t interchangeable a few years down the road

    anything older then 10 years you are just buying a rolling set of cores anyway
     
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