Quote:
Originally Posted by Wiley
Musicman- You are not the first one to tell me not to buy a truck lol. But the rest of your advice is more what I was looking for lol. What do you drive and is there a reason you drive it? Maintenence is one of my biggest concerns. I am also considering a lease option, what's your opinion on that?
I’ve got a 2006 Pete 387. The reason I have it is because I had a 2003 Pete 387 that was stolen in February 2008.
I bought the 03’ in June 2005 through a company lease – purchase (which I don’t recommend). I ended up leaving that company just six months after starting the lease purchase and showed up with a cashier’s check for the balance of the truck the day I told them I was leaving. Needless to say, they were not only surprised, but angry because they, like most companies that offer a lease purchase program see it as a way to make you slave. They figured I was stuck… I’d either have to stay and put up with their bullchit or leave and they’d get to keep the truck to lease out again to some other sucker. They figured wrong.
When the ‘03 was stolen, I opted for the same make and model because I had just spent three years learning all the peculiarities of the 387. I do most of my own maintenance work so it was a no-brainer to stick with what I knew. The one thing I did do this time was make sure I got the more fuel efficient ISX. My fuel economy with the new truck is nearly 20% better than it was with my old C15, and that’s even with hauling much heavier loads.
The one thing I don’t like about Peterbilt is that dealerships are few and far between and only a couple offer 24/7 operations. It seems like there are several times more Freightliner dealerships and many of those are 24/7 or at least open late. It is the one factor that might sway me to buy a Freightliner for my next truck.
To get back to the question of doing a lease/purchase on a truck… NEVER, EVER get involved in one with a carrier. This topic has been covered in-depth on this board, so I won’t spend too much time on it here. Let’s just say that it is a form of 21st Century slavery. Some carriers (CR England, for example) have abused folks so badly with their leases that they have had class action lawsuits filed against them.
Here’s a link to the OOIDA page detailing the saga with CR England:
News, OOIDA Court Actions
CR England isn’t the only company that has abused lease contracts. Such behavior is more the norm and not exception.
These days, anyone with cash is allowed into the former “dealer only” equipment auctions. You can show up with $15k and buy a truck you’d pay $25k for on a truck lot or $50k in total payments in a lease purchase program.