Hi everyone, new to the forum. I'm a owner of a small dump truck company here in Shreveport. Been in business a little over a year, and have learned very quick about the pros and cons of the dump truck side of this industry! Own a couple of RD Mack's and a FL. Work has been steady for us, but truck repairs have been steady too. Just goes with the territory as most of you know, and I continue to learn about. No regrets..... Yet!!! My question, which I know has been asked a million times, is about dealing with road trucks. I'm a novice and only know enough about them to get in trouble. I am researching and learning more and more each day. But, I know people are basis about their trucks and what they think is the best/worst of the lot, but I feel REAL answers come from those of you who work/drive/own, these trucks. So, that being said, I'm ready to learn more from the masters of this industry! Ive had a unique opportunity given/asked to me to think about. ( Dont want to say what it is at this time, since this process is in its early stages of development, and may or may not happen), but it involves getting into hauling cargo exclusively for a business. Have access to 2 trailers already, both 53 feet. Cargo consist of medium to heavy dry bulk. Non-hazmat. I'm looking at buying a dependable rig. Something no later than a 2006. I'm am, and have looked at most of the manufacturers makes and models. The models I have narrowed down are the 1. Freightliner Coronado. The Columbia and Cascada. 2. Peterbuilt : 379's 3. Kenworth: T660's, 800's I've heard so many great and terrible things about each of these trucks, and I'm a bit confused on my next move. Examples involve staying away from cummins engines, ( aka Coming apart). You want a 13 speed, no use a 10 speed. Don't buy ANYTHING over 500k miles, but others say, trucks with 800k aren't hurt. If you buy from a single owner, bets are the truck has been taken care of better, schedule overhauls have been done and odds are better that your truck will be more dependable than purchasing a retired fleet truck. All examples that I have been told. See what I'm getting at? I will admit, the truck I, " Have" favored as been the FL Coronado. People I've spoken with are 70/30 on good vs. bad on them. Most have said the Detroit engine, 515HP is the way to go. Its has the most cab room as well. Has all the driver perks that drivers want. The Cadillac of road trucks. Ok, that's fine, but is it really dependable? I'm not looking for a truck that looks like it belongs in the NASCAR fleet, I'm looking for a truck that gets my driver and cargo from point A to point B, reliably. And, when maintenance issues do arise, ( and I know they will), how easy is this truck to repair? Are parts for this truck more expensive than that of a Pete 379, (we all can agree that there is nothing cheap when it comes to parts). So, this long, drawn out, ramble of a post is just to help me find balance on my next move to purchase. I apologize for this somewhat confusing rant. I was back and forth trying to type this out, as I was working on another project. I look forward to the replies! You guys that have been doing this industry for years are the teachers for us who don't know, and I look forward to learning. Thank you all, Chuck
I understand the decision demons you are wrestling with,,, afraid you'll make the wrong decision,, I get that. I can't tell you which truck to buy, nobody can, but maybe I (we) can help you. Let me ask you a couple of questions. Is this hauling opportunity a long term thing? How many miles per month is involved? Is it long haul, I mean do you need a sleeper or will a daycab do the job? Maybe most importantly, does it pay enough per mile to justify the expenditure you are considering making (and be VERY honest with yourself) ? If after giving my points careful consideration and assuming you want to move ahead, then would a short term lease of a FL Coronado be possible to see if that model is what you want for this job. Just my opinions, hoping to be helpful.
I'd say that this job, long term, is 90% a sure thing. There are things being worked out, fact from fiction, where I'll have a true answer within a few weeks. But, I'm very confident it will be. Long haul vs. short haul. Well, being a dump truck company owner, all I've ever done is short haul. But, I'm going out on a limb here to say that most trips would be a long haul category. Sleeper cab, yes!!! Markat, it's funny that you're from Indiana, because that is a state we would be picking up from to haul back to Louisiana. The runs would be once to 2 times a week, maybe more. As I understand it, the route box is basically the central plains/Ohio valley to the gulf states. Runs up northeast, east coast and out west are already contracted out, so I'm out of that equation. Basically, lets just say the central U.S. I'm treading lightly right now, as a lot of details, planning need to be worked out. I don't mind going 1 truck and trailer, to test the waters, so to speak, and my business associate/friend who asked me to come aboard, is fine with that. This is a opportunity to expand my business to other areas other than dump trucks. So, if I do this, I want it to be right and with the right equipment! Failure doesn't scare me because I know that whatever equipment I do decide on, and this doesn't pan out down the road, I can sell and hopefully break even, at least. I will say this, the business market in the south is still robust and has had little to no hits from the recession. That is a overall statement! However, oil and gas industry is getting ready to come full circle again and things are looking up! I know that simply from all the oil and gas pads I've been working on these past several months with my dumps! Trucks sell down here and if my future endeavor falls flat, selling my future road truck shouldn't be a problem. And, whatever equipment I do choose, maybe I could find some niche in the trucking industry, and keep it. That's why I'm not looking at anything brand new, 2006-2009 model rigs are ok with me. Something nice, but something that won't break my bank account trying to purchase! I want a truck that's reliable, trusted, and easy to work on, (mechanics not cussing me every time I pull into a shop) and is safe. It's why I'm here. I take advice seriously and I'm humbled by the knowledge of the ppl in this forum. I've lurked here for over a year. But, the bottom line is I have a awesome pool of drivers now, and if this takes off, I want the best for them, with trusted equipment. Mileage and cost! I know there are formulas how to figure your cost, fuel, surcharges and such. Not comfortable in total knowledge, but I'm learning this important side of this side of trucking, little by little. And as far as leasing, I just assume to purchase. I don't know that a Coronado is the right truck for me. I like them, A LOT! Beautiful truck, but as I stated, I don't know about the demons of these vehicles, (trucks in general). I guess I need to hear the pros and cons of different trucks and make a decision after I do some compiling of info. For instance, the Coronado is a beautiful truck, however I've been told that is makes really awful wind noise because of the lack of a bug shield on it. Also, it rattles terribly on the inside. Heard the front window leaks bad around the seals. I don't know this, but does it? The Pete's have a bad tendency to roll over easier. Hard to start in cold weather, A/C compressors are junk....etc. It's these types of answers that I hear, but don't know truth from lies! I understand drivers are partial to what they like, I get that. But, what makes you guys/gals love Pete's over FL? Or why would a T600 be better over a International Prostar? I'm looking for answers from those of you who drive this equipment every day! Looking for the quirks, the love and the hate of the current fleet of American trucks on the roads out there. Keep in mind, I'm a novice to road trucks. Dumps, as much as I love/hate them, I get those, ESP Mack's! Everything else is confusing. Thank you again!
As far as the age of the truck, 2007 was the big jump into the emissions. Personally I would stay away from anything 2007 and newer. As far as the transmission goes, I would take just about anything. If you are not hauling heavy, a 10, 13, 15, 18, or maybe even an ultra shift should work alright. For the engine, they all have their pros and cons and I would be willing to ignore the colour of the engine to buy a better all around truck. A truck with lower miles, or a recent rebuild over a truck with a specific engine. The Pete and Kenworth are generally a more expensive than the Freightliner, and for the most part don't offer much more than a Freightliner. The Pete and Kenworth also tend to have a smaller cab. To some people this is a pro, to others its a con.
I belive there is alot of sence in saying, that anything you buy is going to have some problems and none of the trucks you are talking about are junk. Now my preference would be a in any truck a detroit and a 13 speed.
I am not in the over the road business any more, but I agree with johndeere123 regarding the emissions. You can probably find trucks with 7 to 8 hundred thousand miles on them, get and inframe done, and start off with engine warranty at least. I prefer the less electronic models up to about 2004, but they are going to have a bunch of miles on them by now. Regarding brand of truck and engine, it could come down to which dealers are available and which have the best reputation. In this electronic age you are likely to have to take them in for diagnostics unless you are a real guru with the laptop plugged into the truck. Not many people can do much beyond maintenance on their own equipment anymore with the software requirements and constant updates. The one thing that helped me was tracking EVERY cost and plugging into your cost per mile. Knowing what your cost per mile for tires, fuel, maintenance, insurance,payments, payroll, etc. etc. etc. is crucial. Learning which states charge more per gallon for fuel tax can save you a bunch as well. For example, which is the cheaper fuel: Fuel in Idaho @ $4.00 per gallon or fuel in Wyoming @ $3.90 per gallon. Idaho has a $.25 per gallon tax and Wyoming has a $.14 per gallon tax. When you do your IFTA return you are credited back the tax that you paid if you purchased more gallons than you burned in a particular state, and that credit is applied to the state in which you did not purchase as much as you burned. So in the example; Idaho fuel cost $4.00 per gallon less 25 cents or $3.75 per gallon for the fuel, while the Wyoming fuel cost $3.90 per gallon less 14 cents for fuel tax which is $3.76 per gallon for the fuel without the state tax. Little things like this make the difference between profit and loss. Another thing to remember, there will always be someone out there that will undercut you price-wise, so service is the key to holding on to a contract. Apologize for the lengthy response and hope it helps, a bit off topic.
never heard of a pete rolling over easier. or being hard to start in cold weather and a/c compressors being junk. those last two items would be on the engine side not the manufacturer side. petes and kw's tend to be owner operators trucks more than fleet trucks, and tend to be more expensive but also tend to have a better resale value. personally I would stay away from prostars. I used to work at an international dealer and they are an electrical nightmare and they rattle apart. don't count out western star. tougher than boiled owl and built like a tank. as far as repairs go, detroits are super reliable and a lot cheaper to fix than other engines.