[Shutdown74]

I have been driving now for 29 years and Ive been thinking of buying my first truck.I know this industry pretty well since I have been around trucking all my life,but I am not sure what I need to know about owning a truck,can anyone help me with the ins and outs about buying and maintaining a truck and all the things I will need .

[Aufgeblassen]

There are many things I can tell you, but one thing I have learned as an owner operator, is that you can save a bunch of money and time using synthetic oil. Supposedly you get a little better MPG using it, your engine is supposed to last longer using it, and you can go MANY miles longer between oil changes. I currently have over 150,000 miles on my current 5W-40 Delvac 1/Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck oil. I did nothing special, other that changing oil filters every 30,000 miles (which requires 2 gallons being added to replace what was lost in the filters), and doing oil analysis periodically. I get my Mobil 1 oil at Wal Mart, because it is cheaper than Delvac 1 at truck stops, and it is identical.

[solo379]

It's unreal! Aufgeblassen, what kind of drugs you are using? Don't get me wrong Shutdown, but if you didn't do it in 29 years, you'd be better off not doing it now. Especially considering what is going on, and what's coming. You'll probably get some "wise" advises, but trust me;-Do not do it! "That's all i want to say"..(c) Forest Gump.

[RostyC]

Originally Posted by solo379

It's unreal! Aufgeblassen, what kind of drugs you are using? Don't get me wrong Shutdown, but if you didn't do it in 29 years, you'd be better off not doing it now. Especially considering what is going on, and what's coming. You'll probably get some "wise" advises, but trust me;-Do not do it! "That's all i want to say"..(c) Forest Gump.

Couldn't have said it better myself. It's just too cheap out there to run a truck. Turned my tags in Sept 2012.

[GMAN]

No doubt about it, rates and available freight is on the downside. Part of it is the time of year, but there is much going on in the economy and political arena which directly affects this industry. It isn't cheap running a truck. It is different when you actually own the truck. I won't tell you not to buy a truck. However, should you decide to take the plunge, I would recommend that you keep your debt to a minimum. Pay cash if you can. If the economy gets worse, as many expect, you don't want to be saddled with a big monthly payment. If you need to borrow to buy your truck, make sure to pay enough down so that you have a small payment. You also want to have money set aside for emergencies or a major breakdown.

Before doing anything, you need to sit down and look at the numbers. You need to know what you need to do just to break even. Put a plan together. For instance, do you want to lease to a carrier or get your own authority? If you buy a truck you should be prepared to hit the ground running.