Hey all
This might be a dumb ? but I have to ask. I am looking into buying a truck and becoming an O/O. I don't graduate school until the end of the year but I am planning on leasing with a company that my cousin drive for. I have enough money to purchase a new truck and thinking about the new Volvo VT880 "outright". My ? is should I get a new truck or go ahead and get a good used truck?

Also after buying the new truck I will have enough in the bank to handle any maintenance issues that will come up

Nothing wrong with geting a new truck if you have the money but you might want to rethink the 880 that sucker is heavy.

I am not married to the 880. I just went out and saw one yesterday and I like how the interior was set up and it looked comfortable. I am still researching trucks and I have 6 months before I even purchase one.

You need to decide what type of freight you plan on hauling before deciding on any particular truck. Buying new is nice, but I would caution about starting out with a new truck, especially without any experience. The 880 is a nice truck but most of the new trucks will cost much more in fuel than an older one.

You might wanna also consider getting a little experience under your belt before becoming an owner/operator. Some people begin this profession with great expectations but become disillusioned and decide it ain't what they thought it would be. Put in some time as a company driver and then decide if being an owner/operator is what you want to do. 8)

i second that, drive for a company 6-12 months, get some experience, talk and get answers from drivers, then you will be more ready, jumping in like this could be very costly. and youre gonna be making many small mistakes that you could avoid with some experience, and many times these little mistakes cost big money.

The new trucks are not doing well on fuel mileage. Keep in mind that if you decide to buy a new truck you will lose about 30% of what you pay as soon as you drive it off the lot. That alone is enough to pay cash for a good used truck. I don't know how old you are or your background, but an owner operator is a businessman. You need to be good at managing yourself and your money to do well. Getting a couple of years experience would greatly benefit you before you go out and buy a truck. Right now, you don't know if you will like this profession, what you need, how much you will make or what your expenses will run, should you purchase a truck. At this point, you have much to learn. Take your time and learn well. Doing so will save you money and many costly mistakes.

One word.... INSURANCE... With no experience insurance will be nearly impossible to obtain.

Yeah I second Diesels comment about insurance......How you going to get it?...you must have some little trick up your sleeve?
Fill us in if you have a plan....luv to hear it?

I am planning on driving for a company for a while until my cousin who have been an O/O for 10 yrs and driving for 25 yrs put his trucking business together and I partner up with him. I am looking into several vehicles before I chose 1. I thank you all for your help.

I have heard rumors about new vehicles are bad on fuel then older ones. What is the best year and how many min miles should I be looking at for a used truck. Once again I thank you all for your help.

By the way, the company that my cousin is leased to currently have him carrying grocery goods and at times hauling frozen goods on a reefer trailer.