[Super 8]

What are the things to look for when buying a used truck? How would you prioritize them to make a good purchase?

Thanks.

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

There are so many things to look for....

Year and Mileage are always #1 along with repair history
After that, I look for specs such as motor, trans, rears, MPG ect....
Then tires, brakes, and parts costs averages.

Just dont jump into something right away. Take a few months to look and find the right truck. Trust me, it will be time well spent and the industry isn't going anywhere.

[Super 8]

Originally Posted by Steel Horse Cowboy

There are so many things to look for....

Year and Mileage are always #1 along with repair history
After that, I look for specs such as motor, trans, rears, MPG ect....
Then tires, brakes, and parts costs averages.

Just dont jump into something right away. Take a few months to look and find the right truck. Trust me, it will be time well spent and the industry isn't going anywhere.

What do you consider to be reasonable mileage for a used truck? Sorry if that's a vague question. Just in general, what's the tipping point in terms of costs vs mileage?

[olddog]

STEEL HORSE COWBOY: If you don't mind me asking.....what type of company and what do you haul that keeps you within a 150 mile radius of home?

Thanks

[GMAN]

When I am looking for a new truck I have a list of things that I must have and others that would be good to have, but are not deal breakers. For instance, I prefer CAT engines but would consider a Detroit or Cummins if the truck had everything else that I wanted and was a good enough buy. On the other hand, if I felt strongly enough about CAT then I might not consider any other truck that didn't have a CAT engine. Another thing is transmissions. I might prefer a 18 speed, but would consider a 10 speed. One thing that I don't get hung up on is brand names. I have owned several different brands of trucks, but don't have 100% loyalty to any of them. I look for value. I have long past the time where I fell in love with a particular brand. I look at truck purchases as a business decision and look for the best value and for a truck that is spec'd to do the job that I need. If I find a brand that I like, then I may buy it, but it isn't a deal breaker. I know some owners who will not even consider anything but a Peterbilt. I have been there and done that and know from experience that a Peterbilt won't make me any more money than any other brand. While a Peterbilt is not a deal breaker for me it is for a couple of my friends.

I look at the general condition of a truck. If it has been well maintained inside then it is likely that it has been well maintained mechanically. I still don't rely totally on cosmetics. A good cleanup can hide some deficiencies. I prefer looking at a truck prior to it being detailed. It is much easier to spot potential problem areas such as oil leaks.

If you are not mechanically inclined it would probably be worth it to you to have a reliable mechanic look over a truck prior to purchasing. The small amount of money would be worth the peace of mind.

[Super 8]

Originally Posted by GMAN

When I am looking for a new truck I have a list of things that I must have and others that would be good to have, but are not deal breakers. For instance, I prefer CAT engines but would consider a Detroit or Cummins if the truck had everything else that I wanted and was a good enough buy.

Thank you for your response.

Why do you prefer CAT over others?

How about mileage? Is it much of a factor if it appears the truck has been well maintained? If I buy a truck with 400K miles on it, am I looking at a truck that's going to start wearing out soon? I understand there are variables here, but I'm looking for any kind of yardstick I can find so I'm not completely clueless when I go to a dealer.

[GMAN]

I prefer CAT's because I think that they make a better engine. Well, at least until the new EGR engines came along. I previously owned Detroits. I had pretty good service out of the Detroit engines, but I have had better service out of CAT engines. I think that they pull stronger and will outlast any other brand on the market. It is not too uncommon to hear of CAT engines that go over 1,000,000 miles before having to do an in-frame. Most Detroit's and Cummin's will need an in-frame around 750,000 miles. Of course, much of that depends on how the owner maintains the equipment. I have one CAT that has 985,000 miles on it and has never even had bearings replaced. I hope that it will make a million plus miles before having an in-frame. It still runs strong. I never had a Detroit that went that long before an over haul. And keep in mind that I have had drivers in this truck for part of it's life and some have not taken good care of it.

Even with that many miles I still average over 6.29 mpg. I have seen over 7 mpg, but that is not the norm. I had one Detroit that only got 5 mpg loaded or empty. CAT has a reputation for not getting as good fuel mileage as Detroit or Cummin's. In the past that was probably true. I don't think it is today. Again, excluding the new EGR engines. Your fuel mileage will mostly reflect how well you maintain the truck and how you drive. Some people will get poor fuel mileage no matter what they drive. Others will always do well on fuel mileage. Other factors that can affect fuel mileage is climate, terrain, type of freight hauled and gearing. Even if I did give up a little fuel economy I would still prefer CATS because of the excellent service that I have received from them.

A flat bed is more likely to get better fuel mileage than a van, depending on the type of freight you haul. I recently hauled a steel structure that was 14'8" tall, 10' wide and 84 feet long. It caught a lot of wind. There were also a lot of detours due to the height. Fuel mileage did drop on that trip. Anyone who hauls cars typically gets poor fuel mileage due to the equipment and type of freight that they haul. Truck aerodynamics can also be a factor in fuel mileage. An aerodynamic truck will usually get better fuel mileage than a truck with a long flat hood.

You can have problems with ANY truck no matter what the engine. I have known of some who have had to do a rebuild with only 150,000 miles. If you fail to take care of your maintenance then the life of your engine and equipment will be shortened. I make a point of changing my oil at around 15,000 miles. CAT told me that I could probably go 25,000 before changing the oil. I have never been comfortable going that long. I have known a couple of owner operators who change their oil at 10,000 miles. I think that 15,000 is a good time to change it. There are fleets who go 40,000-50,000 miles between oil changes. They get rid of the trucks while there is still warranty on them. Failing to change oil in a timely manner can result in early failure of your turbo and other component parts. It doesn't take much to destroy the bearings in your turbo. Keeping fresh oil in the engine helps keep grit out of your turbo and will keep the bearings well lubricated. If you purchase a truck with 400,000 miles you will still have some warranty left on the engine and drive train. Again, most engines should go around 750,000 miles before needing an in-frame.

One thing to keep in mind is that just because the truck was in a major fleet doesn't necessarily mean that it was well maintained. Some companies will skip maintenance when the economy is down, freight is slow and rates are down. On top of that you have some drivers who are real dogs. They rarely do a proper pre-trip and only check the oil or water when it is convenient or a light comes on. There are some drivers who do care about their equipment. I have had some drivers who have kept their truck so clean that you could eat off the floor or dash. Others have brought along their dogs and really trashed my equipment. The thing is that you may never know how well a piece of equipment has been maintained until you drive it for a while. I can usually drive a truck and tell very quickly how well it was maintained. Some trucks you can just get a feel of them from driving them down the highway.

I will mention one other thing to check when looking at trucks. Check out the interior. If there is damage to seats or interior then it has probably had drivers in it who have not taken care of the truck. It is easier to see this prior to the truck being detailed.

[Aufgeblassen]

Originally Posted by GMAN

I prefer CAT's because I think that they make a better engine. .

Personally, I would stay away from CAT because of low MPG. Also Cummins, because of poor reliability.

I would pick Volvo engine 1st, then Detroit.

[GMAN]

I have heard that Volvo engines are pretty good.......until they break. Then it can cost an arm and leg to repair them. Ironically, I was talking to a mechanic shop earlier today about a Volvo in their shop. They were having problems getting parts and the truck is difficult to work on. That means a higher repair bill. With a Volvo or any proprietary engine you will usually need to go back to the dealer for parts. That can make them more expensive and take longer to repair due to waiting for parts.

I had good service out of my Detroit engines, but will stick with CAT as long as they hold out for me.

Although CAT used to have a reputation for lower mpg than Detroit or Cummins, that is not necessarily the case any more. I know several people who run CAT engines and do about as well as their Cummins and Detroit engines. It is more about how you drive and gearing than the engine. And if you look at repairs, I think you will find that CAT requires fewer major repairs than most other engines. At least that has been the case with me. Even if I did get a quarter of a mile or so less mpg I would still take the CAT over the others due to the reliability.

[Midnight Flyer]

Cat engines are definitely the best. I'm thinking the folks at Cat are gonna figure out they screwed up big-time when they decided to discontinue their big truck engines.