how old is to old

[rickll]

hello, i am thinking about buying our first truck and would like some info from you experanced O/O's. We are H/W team drivers and like to drive an average of 6k - 7k a week. now, my question is, how old of a tractor that's in good shape could i get by with and still get work? or should i just bite the bullet and wait until i can afford a new tractor? I understaind this has alot of differant scenarious, but will companies work with someone who owns a older truck?

[solo379]

At that kind of mileage, I'd buy new, and change it every 2 years!

[GMAN]

I would look more at the general condition and what has been done with the truck than going strictly by mileage. Having said that, some carriers want your truck to be less than 6 years old.

[solo379]

I would look more at the general condition and what has been done with the truck

Common, Gman! The guy is going to run 300,000+ miles a year! :P

[GMAN]

The general condition is still the most critical part of purchasing any truck. However, he would probably be better off finding something newer or with lower miles since he is going to run so hard. If he buys a new truck and runs that hard, he is going to take a bath on the depreciation. Something with about 300,000 miles would probably be a good compromise.

[rickll]

Thanks, GMAN. We have been running around 25K a month working for this company. Don't most H/W teams run this much? as it sounds like some of the reply's are say that to many miles per year? I feel we could make an OK living being O/O's but like I've said we've been company drivers and going out on our own is kinda scary.
Http://www.ourbigtruck.com

[solo379]

as it sounds like some of the reply's are say that to many miles per year?

It's sure as hell to me!
But if you can, and willing to run that many, you should consider replacing trucks every 2-3 years, and figure in depreciation costs!
That's all, i wanted to say! :wink:

[brian]

the older the better, for me anyways.

[allan5oh]

I agree, the older the better! As long as it's in good shape.

Since you guys are doing so many miles, do NOT be afraid to get a nice truck that will be comfortable.

What kind of trucks are you looking at?

[GMAN]

Thanks, GMAN. We have been running around 25K a month working for this company. Don't most H/W teams run this much? as it sounds like some of the reply's are say that to many miles per year? I feel we could make an OK living being O/O's but like I've said we've been company drivers and going out on our own is kinda scary.
Http://www.ourbigtruck.com

Most teams seem to run about 6-7,000 miles/wk. Keep in mind that you will likely take some time off during the year, so you won't actually be running 52 weeks per year. I can understand that venturing out on your own for the first time can be disconcerting. It is a big step, especially if you have never been in business for yourself. I suggest you stay within your comfort level. In other words, if you have made up your mind to go out on your own, then find a truck with a payment that you can be comfortable. You certainly want to have a truck that is in good shape, but don't want to have such a high payment that you are fearful of sitting too long because of your obligation. Personally, I prefer trucks a few years old. I don't want to work for a truck payment. I would take my time and look at a lot of trucks. Make a list of what is important to you. By now, you should have found some things you like in the truck you currently drive, and also some things you would like to have that may not be in your truck. I have two trucks that have the same size sleeper but are laid out entirely differently. I prefer one over the other, mainly because of the way my sleeper is laid out. There are others who prefer the other truck, regardless of the way the sleeper is laid out. They like it because it is a Kenworth. There are some trucks available which are already set up for a team. There are a few which have a double bed, most have double bunks. Some may have a refrigerator built into the truck. As you look at different trucks, make a list of things you like about a specific brand or design. Once you decide what you don't want to do without in spec's, start looking for that particular truck. It may be available in different brands. If you have a good down payment and your own financing, you can usually get a much better deal when you go on your hunt. Those who get in a hurry usually wind up paying a premium and may not get exactly what they want. Just a few thoughts.

[carolina trucker]

20 is too old.

After 19, the magic is gone.

[Teal 95 KW]

I would run...as fast as you could away from a carrier that won't let you lease onto them unless your truck is such and such age. That means they kow you have a fat payment, and want to keep you under their thumb.

[Jumbo]

I think that some companies want trucks to be less than x amount of years old because they probably want trucks that look newer and up to date. Just kind of a image thing. I personally wouldn't care what year your truck was as long as it was kept up. I would like to see someone pull up with a shiny K100 or needle nose pete every now and then.

[Teal 95 KW]

My truck is a '95 and is clean inside and out. It's not immaculate, but yo uwould never know it had 1.3 million miles on it. I'd say it's because they know someone with...say, a paid for truck might not feel the need to run as hard to move the companies freight, as a fella with a $2k a month truck payment..THAT guy is going to run alot harder, and move more freight, equalling more money in said companies pocket. I think it goes beyond image, because a 10 year old truck can be just as nice as a brand new one appearance wise....

[Jumbo]

That is because you take care of your truck. I have seen trucks newer than yours that look alot worse inside and out. The image thing I think is only a possibility of why they want trucks only so old. The other may be dependability. Not everybody keeps their truck the same mechanically. I think companies want trucks that aren't going to be broke down every week, and usually that means a newer truck. It would be on the average I guess. Would you say that a newer or older truck would be more prone to breakdowns?

[allan5oh]

No.

Older(5+ years) trucks properly taken care of will be more reliable then a 2-3 year old truck that's neglected.

[mike3fan]

No.

Older(5+ years) trucks properly taken care of will be more reliable then a 2-3 year old truck that's neglected.

true,but a 5 year old truck with 5 year old typical mileage will not hold up long to running 6-7,000 miles a week.

[allan5oh]

Why not? All the bugs will be worked out of the truck.

The owner will have put together a maintenance program specific to his truck.

Warranty is irrelevant.

The only way I can see your point is if the owner has ZERO time to maintain the truck.

[Jumbo]

No.

Older(5+ years) trucks properly taken care of will be more reliable then a 2-3 year old truck that's neglected.

That would be correct. But, what if it were the other way around. That is why I said as an average. That is why people trade up. Usually because their older truck starts to nickle and dime them.

[Truckdobe]

Just to stir the pot further....

For new, unconnected O/Os, I would say that they have less choice in the matter b/c of company policies etc...

On the topic; our new truck ('07 that we thankfully sold) was in the shop at least monthly for little nit-picky crap. Mostly things that I would not have even bothered with on an older truck, meaning I would fix them at my liesure or without shop help, but b/c of warranty issues it has to go in before XXX mileage or time. My new truck was not a bit more reliable than my million mile+ truck that I sold to buy the new one, matter of fact it wasn't 1/2 the truck. They were both W900s, the quality change in 11 years was pathetic!!

In the last 3 years my '96 had 2 unscheduled issues; a tensioner pulley bearing and a wheel seal. The '07 lost a wheel seal @ less than 50k, a wheel @ 100k, the headlights @ 85k, the AC @ 100k, along with numerous little things and routine maintenance figured in... it rarely went more than 3 wks without a trip to a shop.

I see lots of 5 yr old or newer trucks that are JUNK inside and out so age is certainly not the only factor. I, like another poster, would not consider leasing to a carrier that dictated the age, size, weight or any other aspect of my equipment other than it be presentable and able to pass a DOT inspection.

We do run team, sometimes 5-7k miles per wk. We replaced the '07 with an '87 that we are restoring and a '92 that we spent a week going over then put on the road. I'm MUCH more comfortable, the quality is MUCH better and I'm sans truck payments again (the way I like it).

Also, if you're the least bit mechanically inclined or just prefer to do your own work so that you know it's done right; it's much easier to work on older equipment. When the '07 had wiring issues there was nothing I could do but sit and wait for daylight to limp into the nearest dealer; if the headlights go out on the '92 I can run a hot lead to them and keep going until I have time to deal with it; preferably NOT under a load or at the mercy of a dealer.

...also if my '07 W900 was that much of a piece of junk, just how bad would one of the cheap brands be?? SCARY!