Specifications to watch for when purchasing a unit.

[oldmanrandy]

Some of the threads talk about carriers will not take some units on unless they qualify, such as Wheel base, age, sliding 5th, etc.
Can anyone tell me in detail the normal acceptable parameters to stay with in and list the essentials.
thanks

[Orangetxguy]

First off...Is the truck mechanically sound! Second is, what do YOU plan on doing? If your going to be making short runs, with a lot of City deliveries, you don't want a long wheel base. Makes it that much harder to make the turns.
If your going to be pulling tankers, your not going to want a Condo. For tankers, they like the high point of your truck to be 11'8", shorter if at all possible. For tank pulling, a wheel base of under 240", with a dry weight of 19,000 pounds is what most companies are looking for.

Your going to want to be able to carry at least 44,000 pounds of cargo. Regardless of what type trailer you pull. Plenty of the Shipper's out there want you to carry a minimum of 48,000, but they aren't willing to pay the extra $$$ for the capacity. If your going to pull flatbed, you want room for a "headache" rack on the tractor, so you need to plan on a wheel base of at least 230"......240" - 270" is common for dry van and flatbed among O/O's.
You want at least 220 gallons of fuel capacity, so your not stopping all the time for fuel. Lot's of guy's are running 300 gallon capacity...but only fill up with half tanks.

If you have an older truck, that is in great shape, some of the carriers will slide you through on a lease...as long as you keep the truck in good condition. But on average, they all limit age to 6 years to get you started.

[GMAN]

Some may have a specific 5th wheel height requirement. I suggest having one with a sliding 5th wheel. Some carriers require them. Most want a wheelbase of no more than 260-265". If you run into Canada a shorter wheelbase would be better. If you pull a flat bed a mid roof or flat top would be best, but you can use a condo. The condo's seem to work better with the vans or reefers. Most carriers will want you to be able to scale at least 45,000 pounds. Unless you can scale that much you could lose some loads from time to time. Some carrier's seem to haul more heavy freight than others. The main concern should be the condition of the truck. As long as it is in good shape and looks decent, you should not have any trouble with most carriers. Keep in mind that most carriers who have age restrictions usually are those paying a lower rate.

[allan5oh]

That question isn't a decent question unless we know exactly what you're hauling, how fast you run, any weight requirements, and where you go.

[oldmanrandy]

Will be hauling vans and reefers to start. Probably drop and hook until I establish what trailer I need, but probalbly not a flatbed to start. Will have my own authority and want to make sure the power unit I buy
won't be to long short, light heavy, wrong wheel size, or missing some normal functions that a newbie might overlook during the buying.

[GMAN]

The wheelbase won't be that critical unless you run Canada. You can use any class 8 truck reardless of wheelbase in most states. It is just that a shorter wheelbase works better when you run a lot of the older cities, such as Philadelphia, Boston, New York, etc., because many of their streets are more narrow. You can still use the longer wheelbase, but may work harder to get around. If you pull a reefer you will likely run a lot of Northeast and New England. If that is the case, I would stay away from the long hoods, such as the 379 Peterbilt, W900 Kenworth and Freightliner Classic. It will be a little more difficult to get around some of those areas. Something with a shorter wheelbase and shorter hood will work better. Reefers also tend to run heavy much of the time so a lighter weight tractor would also be best to allow more weight. A shorter wheelbase and hood would save on weight. I would probably look at a wheelbase of 250" or less. Wheel size is more of a personal decision. I prefer tall rubber, but have 22.5 on one of my trucks. I think the tall rubber rides a little better. A 10 speed transmission is all you really need unless you do heavy haul. You also don't need 500 hp to do well. I would look at something around 425 hp. I prefer CAT engines, but have owned several Detroits. Any of the major engines will do the job for you. CAT's tend to be a little heavier than Cummins and Detroit, but seem to have more torque. You can get into a Freightliner Columbia or FLD for less than most other trucks. They will be lighter weight and have the shorter wheelbase. A Volvo 660 would also work well and be lighter weight. The larger sleeper Volvo's (770, 780) are heavy. International 9200 will be lighter weight than the 9400. The KW2000 or Peterbilt 387 will have the shorter wheelbase and be aerodynamic which should save some fuel.

[oldmanrandy]

Thanks Gman great info.
You mentioned the Volvo 660. I have been watching these units and have
been told if I stay with an 03 or older I can get the Cummins N-14 which
is better than the ISX. Seems the ISX has injector problems. But there
are many 04 670's with ISX's available.
Question: is the injector problem a continuing problem inherant to the
ISX or is it a one time thing, once fixed its gone.
Also, I am getting a list of 2year/200,000 warranties that the different
dealers are offering. Are there some names to stay away from and are
there names that you would pay a premium to get. Cost's range from
$2000 to $3700, engine only.

[GMAN]

I haven't heard anything about injector problems with the ISX engines. Personally, I prefer the N14, but not for that reason. I have driven both and seem to have gotten better fuel mileage with the N14.

You need to be careful about getting a warranty on the engine. There is a lot these warranties don't cover. I have never purchased a warranty on a used truck. If you do a dyno and oil analysis you can be fairly assured that the engine is in good shape. I don't think these warranties are worth the money.

[oldmanrandy]

Also, since I am trying to enter slowly, I am putting off buying a trailer
for the time being. I have one local shipper that has independants pull
their reefers, but was wondering are there many shippers that just need
a power unit to pull there freight, or while I am thinking it through should
I lease short term a 53' van.
Thanks for everyones help.
Being a company driver(1099 type) is frustrating, and now that I have
my company started and authority in place, all I need is a vin# and
start the insurance and I can roll, hopefully as successful as Steve
and others on this forum

[GMAN]

You will severely limit yourself by not having your own trailer if you plan on running your own authority. There are some power only opportunities, but you will probably have more deadheading. There are a few carriers who have power only and transport trailers. CH Robinson sometimes have shippers who want you to use their preloaded trailers. If the shipper you mentioned will allow you to reload their trailer to get back, that might be a good way to get started. I would not count on doing that much business without having your own trailer. Since I have been running my own authority, I think that I have done power only with one trailer and that was a special over-sized trailer. It was 65' long and about 13' wide. Once you get your authority you can subscribe to some of the load boards. You can then check for power only loads to see what comes up.

[GMAN]

You will severely limit yourself by not having your own trailer if you plan on running your own authority. There are some power only opportunities, but you will probably have more deadheading. There are a few carriers who have power only and transport trailers. CH Robinson sometimes have shippers who want you to use their preloaded trailers. If the shipper you mentioned will allow you to reload their trailer to get back, that might be a good way to get started. I would not count on doing that much business without having your own trailer. Since I have been running my own authority, I think that I have done power only with one trailer and that was a special over-sized trailer. It was 65' long and about 13' wide. Once you get your authority you can subscribe to some of the load boards. You can then check for power only loads to see what comes up.

[oldmanrandy]

Thanks Gman' The shipper pays round trip. All miles going and coming till
you drop there reefer.
Business will pick up in Sept till Dec, possibly non stop. Thought it might
be the opportunity to jump in.
At about $1.40 per mile, which includes fcs, and $25 per stop, it would be
a good starter. If I work hard all bills will be covered, plus.
Am I missing something
Again Thanks

[GMAN]

The rate seems a bit low for a reefer, depending on where you will be running, but with a lot of stops, you could do alright, especially using their trailer. You will also burn less fuel since about half your miles will be empty. If the shipper doesn't object, you may be able to put something on the trailer on your way back to them. Some companies object, others don't.

[oldmanrandy]

They would object
and many times there are backhauls.
Thanks many times for your help and guidance.

[GMAN]

Glad to help. Keep us posted.