I'm going to do it; My mind is made up! O/O
#21
03-10-2010, 12:02 PM
When do you find time to drive? No sooner do I write something than you post a reply. That is a good thing, but I am curious. You are either a super fast typist, or have hung up your keys and are now just helping others. Either way, thanks for the attention you are paying to this site.
About the cheap out option wording. I am now officially 60 and have learned a thing or two about first year depreciation. On the up side, you can reduce your taxable income with it, but you never get as much as you lose. Your repair costs are less, and you have an opportunity to get to know your truck with fewer surprises. Buying used, it would be helpful to know the previous owner, but that rarely happens, and when you can, the truth is elusive. When the age and mileage start getting into the well used category, It is best to assume everything is on it's last legs, and limit your away from home base time until you can get a "feel" for what is beginning to show signs of failure. I have bought old, used, lightly used, and new vehicles my entire life. My preferences run to the new, but when finances do not permit that, I go for value, not just price. When on a shoestring, I buy cheap, and pack lots of tools and spare parts.
We all got to this point in our lives by different roads. I like the idea of having a new truck with the new smell. However, I think that I can make more with a good used truck than a new one. There are some advantages to having a new truck. However, with care and time you can get a good deal in a used truck. It isn't that I don't think that anyone should buy new, but I have seen too many who have bought new when they should have taken a step back and bought a good used truck. It is a great feeling to know that you are not spending every dime you make on a truck payment. It is much easier to wait for the better loads when you don't run for a truck payment. It is nice to have a new truck, but there is no guarantee that you won't spend a lot of time in the shop. In fact, I recall one poster who had a new Peterbilt that spent more time in the shop than running. The nice thing about buying used is that the guy who bought it new took the hit on depreciation and got the bugs worked out (hopefully). If you have the cash then you might consider going to some of the auctions. I get invitations to equipment auctions all the time. There are tons of repo's on the market. Since you carry tools around you probably know your way around a truck. You might be able to get a good buy at one of the auctions. I know a guy who bought hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment at different auctions. GE Capital has a lot of repo's. You might get much more for your money than with the local dealers. There is no reason that one can't get a lot of good service out of a used truck. Some are better maintained than others. You apparently know something about trucks and that gives you an advantage when looking for equipment. In reality, there are advantages to both. You may have fewer repairs with new (but may not). With used you could spend a little more on repairs (or may not). You will likely have bigger payments with new. With used you should not have big truck payments. With new it could be difficult to make those big payments during economic downturns. It would be much easier to make the payments on a used truck or park it when times become difficult. I figure that even if you spend a little on repairs with a used truck, when the repairs are finished you can go back to making money. If a new truck breaks down you not only have the big payment but may also have to take care of the repair costs. Not all repairs are covered under a new truck warranty. It boils down to finding out what is best for your situation.
#22
03-15-2010, 01:27 PM
Yer Daddy Sounds a bit like the CB when someone asks a reasonable question. Five genuine answers and two smart ass answers just so they can justify having a CB in their truck. Look clyde, I have made it to 60 with a lot of bumps and grinds along the way, and paid my dues. I have some funds put aside for retirement, but not enough to last very long without a suplimental income. That is where truck driving comes in. I buy a truck ILO a winnebago, and travel the country as I see fit. I pick up some money along the way. I work smart, not hard OR cheap. Traveling the nation's highways is dangerous for sure, but there are ways that a genuine professional driver can reduce the risks. Has anyone ever noticed that airline pilots can put their rides on auto pilot, but the same cannot be said for a truck? Still, we get paid substantially less, and are regularly grouped with scum of the earth. I also believe we as truck drivers are our own worst enemy. We have the capacity to earn the respect we deserve. What do you say, let's stop complaining about low pay, and do something positive to deserve better.
You didn't even ask any "reasonable question", you just asked for "input". I volunteered my time and bandwidth to offer my personal input. I trucked since '84 and owned since "95. I know a thing or two. And being 60 is a respectable accomplishment but one can live to 100 and still not know it all. You have more dues to pay. Life is cruel. Sorry to inform you of this. Since my reply equates only to"CB Chatter" in your mind, I'll offer up another honest opinion of mine - real truckers don't drive Volvos - that ought to fit better in the smart ass category. Like I said, go big, $100,000 debt to enter an industry with razor thin profit margins, go for it.
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The reason I'm a narcissist is cause everyone else is so lame.
#23
03-16-2010, 07:37 PM
So nice to get thoughtful responses mixed in with the CB chatter. The Volvo I am looking at is also a retired fleet truck. 500,000 miles with a Volvo 12L 465 horse engine and 358 gears. My last truck was a Kenworth T600 that got me a genuine 7 MPG, not a fuel rating from the Qualcom, but actual calculated mileage from day one to when I turned it back in. I check the mpg every fuel up just to cross check how the motor is doing. Here is where I expect to stay ahead of the pack. I can do 90% of repairs myself, and will only need road service when I get caught missing clues from the truck noises. I never use the radio, or CD while driving, and only turn on the CB a few times a day. I prefer to listen to the sounds from the truck, just in case it is trying to tell me something. As long as I can keep the wheels turning until I reach home without causing additional damage, I'm not going to be spending $85.00 per hour for someone else to be doing what I am perfectly capable of doing. Guilty; I am a tightwad.
#24
05-23-2010, 03:00 PM
I don't ever wonder. Very often those guys are pulling in a full military retirement (or disability) and really don't need to make money through trucking. They live off retirement and use any trucking income to buy lights and chrome. The other type is the guy who has no clue how to run a business or a truck and he has a $2k a month truck payment and instead of putting money back for that inevitable in-frame, he's shopping for the latest LED or chromed accessory knob. Not everyone is like that, but the vast majority of the guys with the super shiny, polished and accessorized long-hoods fits into one (or both) of the above two categories.
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