Getting ready to buy my first truck

[hdman1973]

Hey everyone,

Ihave been a class b driver for about 4 years now. I have drove rigs on a permit before for about 2 months and loved it. I have a rental property that I am going to sell soon and it should bring me in the 150-200k range at sale. I own the house free and clear so I have decided to buy a place in Arkansas where the land is much cheaper. Bottom line is that i should have between 100-150k left to but a new truck and trailer.

I was wondering if it would be best to buy a new truck or one with 200-300k on it to get started. I dont want to be working on it every time i turn around. I have always hauled flatbed loads and i hear that they usually pay pretty good.

I am considering several different trucks. I like the classic looks alot but was wondering if its worth the mileage losses.

I do like a few of the streamlined trucks such as the pete 387 and the new KW660.

I noticed that the international 9900ix is about 15-20k cheaper than the pete 379 and kw w900l. Are they decent trucks?

I definetly want a 500 hp or so engine as i want to do long hauling. Definetly want a 13sp. or better trans (drove a 13 before and liked it). Is it better to go for the 18? Do i really need all those gears?

Any advice on the best trucks, engines, trannys will be appreciated. Any other advice on the best way to get started will be appreciated also.

Thanks, Rob

[Uturn2001]

The piece of advice I have for you is probably not the one you want to hear.

Since it sounds like you have nearly zero experience driving a Class A truck you should go to work as a company driver somewhere for at least a couple of years and learn about that side of the transportation industry.

Not only will that knowledge help you determine things like operating costs, good freight lanes, etc it will help immensley when it comes to insurance. Without any or very limited experience you are going to find it very expensive to insure your truck and trailer not to mention cargo insurance. It is, in a lot of ways, very comparable to insuring a 16 year old in a brand new Italian sports car.

Also most companies, if you plan to lease on with one, will not hire O/O with less than a year or two of experience.

[hdman1973]

Thanks u-turn. The insurance would be bad even though I have had a b cdl for 4 years? How much are we talking in $ here (approx)

put your money in a poker machine and you might get better return than buying an otr truck..

[hdman1973]

I also have a clean record with no points or accidents. I have never had an accident or ticket in a cdl vehicle either

[NascarFan]

Well I know Cat recommends that if you buy one of they're Acert engines that you get a 13 or 18spd transmission.

I drive a 2002 International 9900 day cab and love the truck it is speced with a C15 Cat 475HP 13spd don't remember the rears but I get about 5.5 to 6.2mpg pulling a dump trailer .

If it were me I would buy a used well maintained tractor for under $35,000 that way you have plenty of money left if something goes wrong.

[marylandkw]

I have owned both a new 9900 and a New W900. I would have to say that the savings on the Cornfield Cadillac is not worth it. Squeaks and rattles abound. The fit and finish are just no where as good as on the KW.

As far as starting out new with no real OTR experience, I would advise against it. However that is what I did, with a payment to boot! I made it, but few ever do. I really wish I had a few years as a company man first. But with no truck payment it would not be so stressful I suppose.

Many sage men here will tell you to buy a used truck and save some money. I for one prefer a new truck. I like the nice warranty and knowing that I run a truck correct and get better component life outta it.

I really think you should get some time OTR for a company first before you dive in as an O/O. Or perhaps you could buy your own class B rig and do what you know. Being home every night sure is nice.

[LOAD IT]

HD, if you are moving to Arkansas (lumber heaven) I would go with the flat (new or used truck is up to you) go shipper direct to several lumber mills and offer your service. They need the trucks. You will be successful as long as you show up to work each day. If you want some shipper contacts to put out some feelers, I can PM them to you.

[Skywalker]

I agree with Uturn.....completely. I also know that marylandkw gave you some sound advice.

I doubt that an insurance company would touch you. Your experience as a B level driver won't likely carry that much weight with them....or you will take a hosing on the premiums.

Are you old enough (55+) and able to take the one time tax exemption on capital gains from the sale of your principal residence? If not.... you'd best put away the funds to pay the capital gains.

If you are eligible to take the exemption...then, were I you, I would put the proceeds from the sale in "tax free mutual funds" and let them sit there and make money for a couple of years while you went to work for someone else to find out if being a Class A level driver is what you really want to do.

Also, have you taken the time to write a business plan? Have you done P&L projections with best and worst case scenarios? If not...now would be the time to do all of this....before you spend your money and find that you did as well as the "average" gambler in a casino...

[GMAN]

I will agree with those who have advised you to find an otr job and drive for a carrier or owner operator so you can learn what you are doing. I would NEVER advise someone new to this industry to go out and buy a new truck. You are much better off buying a good used truck. I have owned Peterbilt, KW and International. I think the International has a better laid out sleeper compartment. You will probably find more truck for less money with an International. You can find a good used truck for less than $20,000. You can buy a good used trailer from $10-15,000. Finding a good used trailer is more of a challenge than getting a good used truck. Unless you have someone who knows what to look for or have the personal knowlege yourself, it is easy to be taken advantage of when buying equipment.

You don't need a 500 hp engine to do well otr. I have done very well with engines in the 445 hp range. I prefer CAT engines, but Cummins or Detroit will do the job. You can do well with a 10 speed transmission. That is what most trucks have in them. Unless you do heavy haul, you really don't need a 18 speed. A 13 might help a little with fuel mileage, depending on how it is spec'd out. I would look for something that will make money for me. I love the looks of a 379 Pete. However, I never seemed to get more than 5 mpg on my Pete. The aerodynamic 387 does much better on fuel. The W900 also has a problem with fuel mileage. A T600 or T800 or even a T2000 would do better on fuel. I would suggest a 9400 or 9200 International rather than the 9900, because of the better aerodynamics. Since I got rid of my Peterbilt, I have not concerned myself too much with brands. I just try to get the best value I can. I have owned several brands of trucks. I rarely trade. It is usually cheaper to fix anything that needs repair than buying a new truck. Ultimately, it is your decision. You can buy new, but will start losing money on depreciation the moment you sign your name on the paperwork. A trailer doesn't depreciate as much as a truck. In fact, some have actually appreciated in value.

You can buy what you want if you have the money. I suggest waiting and find a good carrier where you can learn on their nickel. Making mistakes in this business can be costsly.

It sounds like you plan on running your own authority. One thing insurance companies check is how long you have had your CDL. Most won't insure you with less than 2 years experience. Anytime I look at a new driver, the insurance company wants to see their experience for the previous 3 years. I can hire someone under 25, but they must have at least 3 years of otr experience. If someone is 25 or older, they will cover them with 2 years of experience. Before doing anything or spending money, I would suggest checking around for insurance. If you can solve the insurance problem, you have overcome your first obstacle.

[hdman1973]

Hey every one,

I want to thank U all for the honest advice. I have decided not to be so hard headed and look into working for someone else for awhile. The company that I work for has 3 daycabs and does some regional hauling. I have e-mailed the local community college about thier weekend class a course. It is 240 hours and they work with about 230 different companies to get you placed in an otr job or a local job depending on what u want. I figure that it cant hurt to have some formal training and exp. to make sure that this is actually going to work out for me. I will still check into insurance as well so we will see what happens. I figure the good lord will open the right doors for me in due time. The worst part is calming down and having patience. Thanks again

Rob

[GMAN]

A little patience now will avoid a lot of frustration later.

[classicxl]

great choice get some experience first then decide if you want to buy a truck. i drove for companies for 2 years before i bought my truck

[hdman1973]

Hey everybody,

Update on driver training. I have looked into so many schools now its making my head spin lol. I have found a school in Baltimore run by all state career. It is a PTDI certified class ( i assume this is better than one that is not) Waiting on a call back from the recruiter with the tuition info and such. The local community college is backed up for awhile so I am thinking of just going straight through a school and getting it over with ( VS. weekends for several months) Any insight on all state or the ptdi cert. would be appreciated.