Who works on there own trucks

the true business men, not the truck drivers with a truck payment, have two school of thoughts on this.

One is new truck and trade it in at the end of the warranty cycle. For this to make any sense at all you got to be turning a lot of miles. over a hundred thousand a year. For some guys this works.

The other is keep the truck as long as the frame is still capable of running down the road. Keep fixing it and rebuilding it yourself and don't get rid of it till the frame rails give out. Doing this, you better be willing to work on it yourself or the labor rates will make a new truck payment look like gravy.

 

With all this emissions crap a guy better be ready to ditch it once its off warranty.

 

I do as much as I can on mine. I'd say half my home time is spent on or around my truck and trailer getting them ready to head back out.

I have an older paid for truck. I'll keep repairing it until its not profitable anymore.

Hurst

 

O/O is the only way to go! Pull a reefer or flat, more revenue. Buy pre emission. Buy the factory repair manuals. Carry basic hand tools, and a 20 ton jack, and parts like governor, brake chamber, drier bypass fitting, spare tire. Service the truck your self, lube / oil. You will be able to see things needing attention. You will spend more time setting up with brokers than getting authority. If you are not mechanically inclined go new and run your ### off to pay for it. stay away from companies leasing, or rent to buy. ie Quality trucks.

 

I own a 99 Freightliner with a 98 stepdeck trailer. I do most of my own maintenance. This spring I had a shop replace both trailer axles.
This summer I replaced heads, radiator, water pump and ECM, Cummins N14 motor.
I also replaced the transmission. I have done this in the past. This year I had the shop do it. Only $1,000.00 for labor. As I get older I find I don't want to do all my repairs, especially the ones that require me to lay on my back.
This weekend, LOF and replace fuel supply lines. It was a nice 50 degree day outside not bad weather for the open air, gravel based repair facility. (driveway),
Good luck with you choice.

 

There is a 3° way to go.
Buy new and keep it in the best possible shape,that way you know what you have.

Buying older is a crapshoot,you never know how abused a truck is.
And shiny doesn't mean it is in good shape.
Also those that advocate to buy older is that they forget one thing.
The time they spend working on them,it is a saving BUT they are working for FREE.

Each most make his own mind up what suits him/her best for their operation.
AND don't forget that there are a few bad years ahead.
World economy and the USA economy are not in good shape.
Rates are low.(several threads about it here on TTR)

 

I do as much as I can myself. Oil changes, grease, air dryer, general maintenance stuff. I have changed a fuel pump, several alternators, a power steering pump, a gasket for the top tank of a radiator.
Just last weekend I changed the starter on my DD15. It's still under warranty, but I didn't want to loose the half day of work. They still gave me a refund for the old starter.

 

I disagree that time spent working on your own equipment to save from 60 to 110 dollars an hour plus down time is working for free. How much more money in wages are you able to put in your pocket because you didn't let a shop have it. Yea I run a 1985 and a 1986. Nobody but me ever touches either

 

Exactly. At today's labor rates you are looking at at least a hundred bucks an hour. The old saying a penny saved is a penny earned is as true today as then. Only exception is in today's terms it's hundreds of dollars saved is hundreds of dollars earned.

Besides the fact it is almost always faster to just do it yourself than take it to a shop. Very few guys can just drop the truck of and go get it when it's done. Most have to sit there twiddling their thumbs while the shop works on it. plus the travel time to the shop and back.