[emerlin]

I'm not really interested in buying a truck at this point in my driving career. I think I need to work for a company to learn the ropes first.

However, I'm not ruling out the possiblilty of owning my own truck in the future, especially if I find an outstanding deal.

So, my questions are:

Is there a "blue book" for trucks like there is for cars?

How many miles can an average truck have on it before it starts needing major repairs?

How many before it's better to trade into a newer one rather than continue to fix problems that crop up?

As far as the main parts such as engine, transmission, brakes, and axles go, when do they generally need a rebuild?

The reason I'm asking is that there are occasionally farm auctions around here and sometimes a truck will come up. For instance, there is an auction next week with a 99 Volvo with 646K miles. Who knows what it would go for at auction, but it might be a real deal compared to buying something from a dealer. Just for the record, I'm not going. I don't know enough. Yet...

[GMAN]

There is a blue book for trucks. I don't have the web address. There are a number of variables when it comes to valuing class 8 trucks. Some trucks can need a rebuild at 300,000 miles and others can go more than a million miles. It depends on how the equipment was maintained. Some take care of their equipment better than others. As a rule of thumb, I would expect to start looking at a rebuild somewhere after 700,000 miles. It could still go a million miles or more, but it is better to be prepared.

[emerlin]

Thanks

[GMAN]

I have one truck with more than 800,000 miles and it is in great shape. It also doesn't use any oil. I pulled the pan last year and had the bearings checked. They were in good shape. I think I can get at least a million miles out of it. The only engine work that it has needed was 1 injector and injector sleeves. Other than that, nothing has been done to it. Hopefully that will continue. I have had to repair the radiator a couple of times and put a starter on it about a year ago. Those are things will occasionally need to be replaced on any truck. Those are minor expenses compared to an engine. It helps that the truck has been paid for. I have gotten my money out of the truck. If I put aside the amount of a truck payment for the next a year or two, I would have enough to rebuild the engine or replace the truck without incurring any additional debt. You can be much more selective in the rate for which you haul when you don't have to worry about making big truck payments. 8)