I think that CRST Malone has Freightliners and Internationals. You won't have a choice on which truck you can lease. You can check out the truck. The problem is that you don't know many company drivers have been in the truck or how well they took care of it. The interior is a good indicator of how the maintenance was done. If the interior is in good shape then there is a much better chance that it has been well maintained than if the interior is trashed. If you want to pay for a dyno and oil sample, that can give you the best picture, but if you have no intentions of completing the lease, it may be a non issue. I believe the company offers a warranty on all engine and drive train components. Freightliner has been around for many years and help up well with fleets for decades. All trucks are basically the same when you take off the skin. I have never owned a Freightliner but would consider one if I were looking for another truck. If you are leasing it with no intentions of ever owning it, then it is really a non issue. If it were me and I was planning on doing a lease purchase, I would go in with the intention of actually having the title in my name. I would then drive the truck for at least a year or two while I saved my money to trade up to a newer truck and use the saved money to pay cash for the new truck. The old truck could be used to trade in on the new truck or you could sell it and use the cash as part of the purchase price.
Unless you want to spend the money for a nice headrack or tool box for the trailer your chains will be exposed to the weather and subject to rust. You could get a plastic storage bin at Dollar Store that would be large enough to store your chains in and throw a strap over it on the trailer. The same can be said for your tarps. Unless you have one of the large enclosed headracks or tool boxes on the trailer, you will need to stow them on the trailer. Some of those large headracks can cost well over $2,000. I have seen some that top $3,000.
I have known some owners who keep spare alternators, starters, etc., but I only keep spare lights, belts and a few other items on my truck. Anything else I can buy on the road. I would not buy too much starting out. You can sometimes repair a hose with duct tape long enough to get you to a service facility or parts store. I do usually keep a gallon or two or antifreeze and oil. If you do a proper pre trip you can avoid many problems on the road. It is usually cheaper to replace a belt or part before it is completely worn out.
CRST Malone has newer trailers. There isn't usually too much to the maintenance on trailers. I believe they handle all the maintenance on the trailers that they lease. Unless you curb a tire or bend a rim, you should not have to worry about their trailers. Your weekly trailer rental payment should cover everything other than abuse.
Most of the newer trucks use LED lights and they don't usually need to be replaced that often. If you want to have spares, I would have one of each style and perhaps some extra wiring, connectors and electrical tape. You can always buy lights at most truck stops, if needed.
I have seen some generators on the catwalk of trucks. I recall one that had an aluminum cover over the generator. The owner ran an extension cord into the cab to run whatever he had inside. I don't think you should have a problem with dot as long as the generator is properly secured and that it will clear the trailer when it turns.
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