5 Tips For New Owner Operators - Buying Your First Truck
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- Опубликовано: 19 апр 2018
- It's an important decision for the new owner operator.
Making the right decision as an owner operator for your first truck, can greatly contribute to your success or failure in your new business.
These are just a few things that a new truck owner should consider -
1. Buy new? Or Used truck?
2. Buy from a reputable dealership whether new or used. It's very handy if the dealership is close to home, to cut down on excess travel time.
3. Find out if the dealership you are looking at, has a good mechanic.
4. Know what type of work the truck will be doing, so as to get the most suitable specs, if ordering new.
5. A used truck from a trucking company which takes care of their fleet truck can be a wise purchase and a good way to transition from being a company driver to an owner operator.
MORE ARTICLES FROM OUR BLOG FOR OWNER OPERATORS
www.smart-trucking.com/first-...
10 TIPS FOR SUCCESS AS AN OWNER OPERATOR bit.ly/2DH06UY
TIPS FOR BUYING A USED TRUCK bit.ly/2qOuqbT
HOW TO SPEC A NEW TRUCK bit.ly/2vyNxfT
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If this Your first truck I highly recommend going for used , cascadia , Columbia or Coronado with Detroit serious 60 glider kit , this engine is amazingly reliable ,take this from Me I"m a diesel Mechanic.
Literally just left the Freightliner Dealer and came home and saw this video in my recommended. Good deal.
When I was hauling steel in the late 60s the owner of the company decided to sell all of his trucks to his drivers and just broker the loads. One guy bought an old IH conventional with a gas engine and because he bought what was considered the worst truck in the fleet he got it pretty cheap. His thinking was to beat the hell out of it then buy a new one, so he opened up the governors and did zero maintenance on it. I've seen him doing 90 mph with 55,000 pounds of 60 foot rebar and working 16 hours a day six days a week. We all thought the engine would blow in no time but instead it refused to die. He ran it hard until he made enough to buy a new Mack. The last I saw him was when I lived in Cobalt and he stopped in the Cobalt truck stop on his way to Winnipeg. He told me his CB handle was poke along so safe bet he was still flying low.
You do more than any driving school to educate new drivers Dave. Thanks.
I’m researching to become an owner non op. I paid 300 for a course and this helped me a lot more than it did!
Glad it helped, thanks for saying so!
I like that you mentioned buying from a company that you work for. My company actually offered to sell me my currently assigned truck, so, no moving! The other benefit is that I know this truck inside and out including most of the mechanical items.
Right on man, its hard to find someone who is straight to the point.
I honestly respect this man so much
I just discovered your channel today. I’m looking into getting into trucking. You’ve most definitely earned a new subscriber Sir. Your decades of experience in the industry is a great wealth of knowledge, & enhances our learning curve significantly. Blessings Sir! Shalowm!
Great video Dave. I always appreciate the information, and hopefully I will be an owner operater within the next year. Thanks for the advice.👍👍👍
My pleasure TJ! Thank you! Dave
Thanks for sharing. I just put in an order for a new truck thru my current company.
I like the info driving for 23 yrs why did I ever wait to get my own truck. But now I'm doing just that. yaa hoo.
I always want a long term truck! Getting to know what breaks when pretty much can make a repair less costly
I was contemplating buying the truck I'm currently driving. I've been in it since day 1, and no one else drives it but me.
Well then, you know the truck and if it's had no issues it would be a good one to buy if you're thinking about going O/O. Dave
as the old man that trained me and I was lucky I actually heard him when you sign the papers on that truck your buying you stop being just a truck driver you become a business man or woman and now everything counts the the price of tires,fuel,insurance,ifta,maitance ,breakdown. and on and on plus a hundred other little things I thank my lucky stars that I actually heard what he said looking at what other guys have he saved from going belly right out the box
grumpy old man with a bus
Thanks for the advice
great advice thanks
@ 1:22 you could buy trucks from TMC, 😂 😂 they are usually up for listing once they reach half a million miles, and every truck has a 1 million mile warranty from peterbilt. Yes the governors removed when they are sold.
And almost everyone knows TMC when roaming around central and eastern parts of united states for the condition and care for the trucks.
Thank you so much ... Very informative and entertaining
Thanks Adrian! Dave
Great points
Thanks Dave!
Thank you! Dave
This guy looks like a classic trucker!!!! Nice videos!!!
Thank you so much for the inf sir.
Thank you
I bought a 2010 pete in 2010 it spent a lot of time getting warenty work done .
Very helpful
I have a CDL class A driving license. But no experience.
I have a very clean driving record. no felony.. no drugs.. no alcohol.. no problems at all. a reliable, very hard worker. Looking to start my career in truck driving.
I'm willing to start with minimum wages to get experience.
I'm naturally a good driver.
Thanks
Great video.thank you
Thank you sir! Dave
Great advice
Thank you! Dave
Great video.
Thank you! Dave
♨️ thank you this advice was invaluable! I needed this
Glad it was helpful!
Dave you should make a trucker fan meet up at your place and show us your ken’s and pete’s!
Just bought a Mack CH 613 day cab out of Canada
Used truck it is 👌 389 pete, or 2016 frieghtliner Coronado 132, or lw w900 are my top picks right now
Great advice Dave
Thanks ! Dave
Also buy one from the southern states so ya know it isn't all rusted to hell.
Six tractors all brand new, all from the same salesman and dealership, pulled rgn for 26 years, all brand new petes. Pull toy told you that.
A good friend of mine started out driving trucks in the late '60s and is now in sales. Knows the business and very helpful. I'm just a truckfan. Unfortunately two of the dealers he worked for screwed him. I'm sure it's hard to find sales people that are actually going to help.
Great video and we've only got one disagreement. It's less about the experience of the salesman, and more about the sales experience. Personally, I've always felt that I'm here to help, not sell. If I don't know the answer, I'm happy to admit that and find it. We're technically oriented, and no BS. We want to make sure it's a fit for everyone involved. :D
Keep up the great videos!!!!
Thank you sir! I've pondered your point about the experience and I will grant you, I agree. In my time I've owned many trucks and trailers but I can tell you that virtually all of my purchases were with the help of only four salesmen, because of that experience you spoke of. I became a customer of those dealerships because of those salesmen and to this day I can still say what a huge help they were to me. Ken Bullard of Toronto Kenworth, Paul Cooper of Kitchener Kenworth, Wayne Richardson of Glasvan Great Dane and Bill Madill from Premier Peterbilt. All great guys! Dave
Listen to Dave on this one now there is short line used truck dealerships they can tend to rip offs and when you need them they don't have your back
Boy this was a good topic I had a piece crap Freightliner next one is going to be a KW or Pete lol I inherit my dad"s old 79 KW W900 lol it's a good old girl NTC 350 BC 1 13spd but my next truck like I said I look at is a 04-06 KW W900 or Pete 379 Cat power C15 525hp for pulling super b's hopper bottoms lol
Thanks for the tips
Ohh i like that jacket, I want one :O
First of all ... step 1... consult your wife, if she thinks its a bad idea... she's probably right. Alimony and a truck payments will be tricky to make... it can be done... I know a guy. A used truck "can" be just as reliable as a new one. I have seen new trucks leave the dealer on a Friday and back on the hook on a Tuesday, warranty doesn't cover downtime! Also be ready to own a truck, you cant bring it to the shop for greasing and oil changes, you better know how to change an airbag and fix/troubleshoot air and electrical problems. Shops love people who can't fix the little things... easy money for them. I bet buying the truck is the easiest part of the process..., CVOR, yearly/monthly plates, insurance, payments, fuel, and getting a good job that pays will be hard. Good luck to the future owner/operators you are the last breed of cowboy!
James Piché Just because you fail ed...doesnt mean everyone will.
Some people actually have what they call...knowledge.
Tip number 1) DON’T DO IT!!!!
2) MAKE DAMN SURE YOUR THAT DRIVER THATS ALWAYS EASY ON THE FUEL PEDDLE
3) THE MORE HOLES YOU CAN STICK IT IN, THE BETTER, think of your drive terrain, the easier you can be on it, the better.
4) SPECIALIZED LOADS ARE BETTER, I made good money hauling cars as an owner operator, I’d get $1600 from Brampton to Kingston and $1600 from Kingston to Brampton. And that was with a 4 car trailer.
5) ALWAYS KEEP UP ON PAPERWORK, if you slide, before you know it, it’s going to swamp you
Excellent video and solid information! Do you really believe shakers are throw away trucks? A Freights all I've ever really known, but I've had good experiences with the 2015 and now 2018 model.
Good to hear! Dave
Smart trucking the main thing I learned buying used is if they said it was overhauled make the cough up the paperwork. I ended up buying a wore out KW T600. It might have been overhauled way way way back lol. The cross hatches was completely gone. Lesson learned.
Never buy new. I bought a new one with an extended warranty and they can never find what's wrong with it until the minute the warranty expires for that part they all of a sudden find what was wrong and hit me with a huge bill. I quickly became my own tech and almost never run it into the dealer unless it's a computer thing or emissions. My friends that own their own trucks get the same bs run around with their warrenties too. So they basically screw with you unless you are a larger fleet and buy trucks from them all the time.
Even as a company driver I've had this. I've been down for a week before because they kept finding things.
"Oh, don't worry, it's under warranty!"
"My income isn't!"
need to pay to have someone else find out whats wrong with it or do so yourself with one of those code machines that are affordable then bring it in for warranty work since you already know whats wrong with it and they cant bs you and tell you they dont know whats the problem either.
What was the problem they found?
What kinda truck was it?
Dave, why almost every highway truck in North América is a 6x4? I live in Brazil, and here usually only the heavy haulege or off road trucks have the 6x4 configuration. The 6x2 is the most common configuration for normal highway trucks here. Thanks! I love your videos.
A couple of issues that I noticed are, believe it or not Volvos are usually more expensive than Peterbilts when buying new. Yes, the Peterbilt will be more expensive than a Volvo a couple of years down the line, but the Volvo is more expensive brand new.
The other issue is that a lot of fleets don't take very good care of their trucks. For instance, Covenant Transport services their dedicated trucks every 25k miles, and their OTR trucks every 60k miles. There's a lot of fleets that do take very good care of their trucks, like TMC, but theirs almost just as many that don't take care of their trucks, hence all of the big company trucks on the side of the road, broke down.
Fleet drivers tend to beat the crap out of their equipment.
volvos are like saabs, its first when you crash them you understand why they are so costly hehe
We just get rid of our Volvo my husband got a new peterbilt 579 his first day to drive today lol he put 1 million miles in to it
Knight does a PM every 20k on their trucks. Oil change every 40k.
TMC is REQUIRED, to NOT miss the service maintenance mileage by 1 mile. Or warranty is voided on that truck. And the company would have to fork over 8,000 to renew the warranty but not reset the mileage coverage for that warranty. The company is VERY STRICT, and on top of that.
I’m thinking of buying a day cab truck for my first truck to run under my own authority. And use that to save up for a nice sleeper truck. What do y’all think of that plan?
Stay away from international with a navistar maxxforce engine,my brother in law have one spend more time in the shop than working, my 1996 Freightliner fld120 with a Detroit series 60 12.7L super reliable solid truck..im happy with my purchase.
My recommend to all new truck is best. Beacuse you will save $2000 for fuel every month. if you buy Used truck You will spend lot money for maintenance.
Freightliner is good beacuse parts cheap.
I started with a used truck. Then 2 more after that one. After that, I sat down and figured out my repair costs and down time my expenses for month on a yearly basics was what it cost to buy a new one. So I bought a new one. Other than regular maintaining , with no repairs or down time, I came home with more money. I guess there could be exceptions, but my feelings are that unless your born sitting on a horseshoe, buy new. I'm retired now and still believe that. Leasing is an option, but I always like to own. The buy out at the end of leases is usually higher than what it worth, and your getting a old worn out truck. Again , my opinion.
Thumbs up.
I could careless what is for hands down I go for KW.
Good video. What truck do you recommend to buy. I am looking for a truck.
I wonder your opinion on army surplus semis like the Oshkosh m1070 they're kinda ugly but could be pretty good
And have a pile of cash in the bank!
Volvo a throwaway truck...? Hahaha
well dave way way way outta my realm butt im watchin anyway and thanks
Thanks Timothy! Dave
They say you have warranty on something that requires maintenance and they will say you did not take care of it and say the warranty is void also buy Pete or kw old.
I know I'm commenting on an old video, but I'm curious about something.
If I buy a used truck, is it worth the extra time searching for one that's pre-DEF and pre-Regen? Or, are those things really not so bad as some people say?
I'm considering a 2001 Freightliner; Detroit Series 60 engine with a 10-speed Eaton transmission. It also only has one rear axle; it isn't tandem. It's also a day cab. It's been fleet-maintained by Schneider.
I don't really plan on doing a lot with it; just an odd job here and there, or when I want to haul the family's Case steam tractor somewhere.
But if DEF and Regen aren't so bad, there are some newer trucks in Schneider's for sale fleet.
Mr. Dave, have a request for you. Right now, Nov of '21, truck prices are out of sight. Could you give some thought to putting something out here to let guys know this is not a good time to get started with a truck. I wouldn't even recommend a current owner to upgrade. Simply can't make it work paying $100K+ plus for a used truck... Thanks.
Volvo isn't cheap lol .
A freightliner will last just as long as a Pete if you take care of it. Peterbilt is just demanding more for the red oval on the grill.
What about Sterling's?
Then....calculate every possible cost and frequency of paying each item, such as fuel, oil, filters, insurance, coolant, hydraulic fluids, physical damage, liability, cargo liability, registration, inspection, repairs, tires, brake work and...the list goes on...
Add a trailer? Rinse and repeat.....
thanks pal hows your sunday going hope its a good one here it very very quiet ,other side of world ya know dave butt lots folks heard about that horrible junior hockey team accident
You know, I gotta admit I was surprised after the accident I was watching the news in Tampa Florida and that accident was their lead story. Until then I had no idea how the word about that accident had spread. Bad news travels fast. Dave
Im purchasing a used international, but dealer is trying to make me get full coverage, but job only requires me to get liability😕
Heard a guy say fleets do enough just to keep warranty. I'm confused.
Give me advice on what to do if, after buying a brand new truck noticed that it was damaged as well as more than 5000 obo, but the dealer hid this information from you, what to do in such situations?
No disrespect but I disagree,never buy from a dealership!!! Unless you don’t mind over paying for a ex fleet truck that was ragged out and prob wrecked but won’t show on title because they have there own shops ,Private seller always!!and always look for paperwork for motor /transmission rebuilt,
getting a high horse power truck its better than buying a regular truck in a way that even tho u r pulling 80k or less it way less ware nd tear, rpms will be low at 60mph it will last longer
should i get a pre def truck? cant deside if i should get a 379 or a more aerodynamic truck,
i would like to wish you and your family a happy new year. As this year is coming to an end its hard to believe all the trouble that a stupid STUPID mack truck gived me. when i bought the truck not even driving and there was a 1600. bill after they had it for 3 weeks droved it for 1 week and back to the shop .2300. for sensors after 2 weeks new starter new tires steers and drives in 1 week 8900. in more sensors so they say besides leaving me on the side of the road empty 4 times truck ran on one tank and gauge showing me i had planty of fuel but the straw that broke the camels back was the transmission went .nom they told me that it was going to cost me 14000. but by the time when finished it would be 25 to 30000.for a freaking 2012 mack i'm in the market to buy a new truck and was wondering if you could help me with this i'm in the mississauga ont area i can not afford to buy another piece of garbage ty
I am not partial to PACCAR’s, more comfortable with Freightliner, will it be a problem for me long term?
Have you done a video about a full maintenance lease if so can you drop it in link or I'll just look for when I get time
TheRightBrotha what's up TRB... come to get some Canadian information.
Haven't done one on that. Dave
I'm in my 3rd.. year doing maintain / leases...I'll tell you it usually the easy way to get your biz..moving...BUT DEPENDING ON THE COMPANY YOU USE...I PROMISE IT CAN BE A NIGHTEMARE!! As a guy who has done this for awhile I can tell you that you will have big monthly payments over 2000.00 easy..and don't forget the mileage payments on top of the the average is about 0.08 cents per mile x 10000 average truck miles a month is another 800.00 on your payment....then you gotta insure it and fuel it... Be very careful you do not get behind on the payments it's a very hard deal to recover from....good luck.
Which have been the good and the bad companies in your case? Would add a lot of value to your advice due to your experience.
I just bought my first truck from a mechanic that was killed in a car wreck, its a 97 freightliner but he took care of it. I got my authority and next week ill be doing short hauls at $6.00 a mile.
Good deal Mike! Drive safe! Dave
What company r u hauling for?
Dry van ? Where at
I figured since I want to be construction trucker with like side dumps or belly dumps, I was thinking a mack vison with 450hp and a 10 speed with half mil for $20,000 I'm thinking about buying it honestly
Sounds like a good deal to me. Dave
What you think of Japanese trucks
I watched some of your video's with your truck and I noticed you don't use a bug deflector on the hood of your truck, any special reason or just do not like them
Never thought Volvo were cheap. Thought Freightliner and International were more of the cheaper ones. But, Kenworth and Pete are better than all of them
How much will dealerships (Kenworth & Peterbilt) usually come down from asking price? Can you haggle like buying a new car or are they usually firm on their price? Am buying a new truck for the first time. Have always bought used in the past.
Can I pitch in here and talk about a more short term concern? Consider your truck title. In the state of Oklahoma, with a used truck, an original title will be signed over to you right away. This means you can get a tag right away and get to work. With a new truck, you have to wait 10-15 business days on average for your title to come in. This means no tag, and no work until you receive this paperwork.
Hi what do you thing about buying2019 Volvo heavy spac truck with 8350000k on it
He has all the history of the truck?he is also owner operator at the same company where I'm going to work with
How do you get your truck home after you buy it if you don't have plates yet?
allthough dave im watchin lookin all the time i did notice automatic trannys allover pay seems to be going up a little in some places and i did give the intermodal trailers a looks to ,,,,,,yup u were rite not good every single one of them got something wrong with em especially the lites and air--electric connections lites get you a ticket or worse rite i imagine also give them excuse to stop you so there u go another puddle i didnt step in thanks to UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU good buddy
Roger beep! Dave
Hello sir, please can you recommend a good dealer and freightlliner mechanic base in Fontana California or Southern California
Thank you
Btw, thank you for making a professional video. I can't stand these other videos where they talk like your in club or something.
Yet to see a cheap Volvo.
Stay away from Volvo, get an older Freightliner fld120 or classic xl or older international, Pete and Kenworth are a little higher in price, anything with a Detroit series 60 12.7L or Cummins n14 redtop or a c15 cat go for it
I'm considering buying a welfare wagon, it's a 1978 w900, for 9k, with a 3406a. It's a classic looking truck. Two previous owners. One owner for it's entire life, than someone picked it up and worked it as a farm truck. Truck looks good, but i hesitate to take a chance because i'd be buying from an individual, but i really am sick of being treated like crap as a company driver. I want to work the truck in state only, doing drop n hook dairy loads plant to plant and some plant deliveries. The pipes are trimmed low so pulling into buildings under scaffolding won't be a problem, the worst problem is where the truck is located out of state.
Have a lot of money😁😁
Dave, how many trucks do you own? And which is your favorite?
I only own the one, although I've owned quite a few over the years. I'd have to say the one I have now has been my favourite. Dave
I figure $100,000 cash to get started. $50,000 for the truck, $30,000 maintenance fund, $20,000 start up cost. If I can come up with $100,000 cash of my own money then I'll consider owning a truck. No debt at all. Otherwise no deal.
Easy choice for me. Get a old 70s truck and you be good. I wouldn't buy anything from 1990 and up basically.
Indeed! Is the choice...
I'm a Diesel Mechanic turn Owner/Operator. However, I'm only aware of new parts houses. Are there any BYOT or Pick-n-Pull yards for semi tractors? I wish to do my own mechanical work.
Lkq
How much the use trucks
New kw 680
You said if you want a truck that you’ll have for a long time then get a Pete or KW. Then someone in the comments said they may be expensive a couple years down the line. I understand any truck can get expensive to repair at some point. That being said. What is your opinion on a Western Star. When I become an O/O I’ll be looking to get something that’s 2015 or newer.
I like the Stars, a little heavy for some work like reefer, but a well built truck. Some of their big bunks have had problems, like the shelves not being well mounted and falling off. Dave
Smart Trucking hmm okay. And lastly, what’s your opinion on Coronados? I’m leaning towards trucks with a square hood. Especially a Pete but Coronados don’t look half bad in my opinion.
What’s your opinion on buying trucks from TruckPaper?
It's a crap shoot. You can end up with a great truck or you can end up with a lemon. Dave