a little advise please

[neverquit]

wanted to say hello to all out there for all the help that those who know help us that dont know thanks
and thats what i need right now some good old fashion advive from u old timers for this rookie .
i been lurking around here for about 2 years now reading a majority of the posts and have gained some truly helpful insight the business. ive read back ( at times it seems almost all the posts but that would be strecting it alittle bit ) about 2 years and that has answered some of my questions but i atlas i have more . so i quess i ll get to the point and look forward to hearing your options.
a little about me , i was a carpenter for about 10 years and as u know doubt have heard things are not so well in that business right now ,so i decided to go get some new skills so i wouldnt be out on my butt and went to truck driving school which cost about 5000.00 (not cheap by any means) but i paid for it and had a new respect for truckers (not as easy as it looks ) graduated top in my class and went to work for a heavy haul outfit in michigan (talk about a learning curve) needless to say they took advantage of this rookie but i toughed it out learned alot got my year and went looking for a better company
so i bought a cargo van and went expediting was great for a year and a half but to many vans and i have my sights set on higher revenue so i left that company to go back and get my second year of experience which is almost up and im planning to go back to the same company i left as a tractor trailer driver which the company knows all about and are accomidating becuase it benefits them as well so here i am about to make the plunge but i need some straight answers (thats were u old timers come in) have my finainces in order have a reserve account and an emergence account set up strictly for the business. what i need is some truck and tech info like wheel base horsepower gps generator info take that back this is what i have set up already have a great laptop set up for wireless and am thinking of the garmin 5000 which is set up for trucks and rv's am thinking of purshasing a kw w900L OR A PETERBUILT 387 each with 550 hp each has pros and cons but finding an honest salesman is like money falling from the skys if u know what i mean and was thinking of going with a TRIPAK or an CARRIER gen to save on fuel and wear and tear on thr truck
will be signing on with bolt express as i think that they r a top notch company with tremendous potential and is up and coming (be on the look out for those that dont know)
the year of the truck will be 2005 or newer. for all u tractor guys ( and gals) out there does this sound good ? am i missing something ? do i need to make any adjustments ? please let me know or is there anything that i might have forgot ? maintenance stops and schedules ? tire longevity what brands r good and what brands r crap .gear ratio things of that nature . as u can tell not afraind to get my hands dirty and i learn quite quickly .
i understand that this is my "business" just wanna make sure that i've grossed all my " i " and dotted all my " t's "
thank u for your time and have a good holiday season

 

[TeamCaffee]

I would suggest if you have XM you start listening to Business and Beyond on channel 171. The show is on the weekends eastern time from I believe 4 to 7. You could also look at the web site http://cdlofit.ning.com/ as Kevin has just introduced a new DVD about getting started in trucking or a tune-up for your existing business. This is not a site or a DVD for expediting but I think it would help you in your search on how to buy a used "big" truck for maximum efficiency. He has many tips on how to purchase an older truck and what kind of tests need to be run on the truck to try and ferret out any problems.

 

[Crazynuff]

Why the KW with the big HP and aerodynamics of a brick ? You'll be throwing away a lot of money on wasted fuel . Go for 387 or one of the more aerodynamic designs and maybe 100 less HP . Otherwise , the FSC will be inadequate .

 

[mrgoodtude]

Good advice^^^
If I were going to run a TT for Bolt (or any Expediting company at this juncture) I would look for a used aero tractor with miles and spec'd for mileage..
Maybe 35K range??
Good luck

 

[LDB]

I've got to go with the rest. A W9 550hp compared to a 387 475hp is probably 1.5mpg if not more. The radio show and website mentioned have ongoing discussions of specs for best performance and economy. Good luck with your research.

 

[moose]

yes definitely go with an Aerodynamic truck , and less then 480 horses, also look for an 2007 model for the best value for the monkey.
think what the speed you are going to drive , and make sure the dealer change the rear ends to the right ratio before you buy the truck.
buy a truck that will work well in 5.50$/Gallon fuel price !
you can call potential dealers and ask for the finance charge as they very a lot , and yes there are ways now to but trucks with no money down ,just PM me once you are ready .
your truck payments should be no more then the expected 10 days income .(if you are expecting to net 1000/W after fuel, your Payments need to be less then 1482$/Month)
see that the APU is CARB approved , and get in house financing .
have money set aside for Cetrematics and by-pass oil filter.

just my 2 C. , but now it is not the time to get into Expedite , make sure you have a strong "plan A " , and a good "plan B"

Good luck ,



Moose.

 

[Jdraegon]

Let me just say i have been there, and done that, I have only owned Peterbilts and I still love them deeply, they make the best show trucks hands down. That being said, I recently started looking at trucks, I decided on a W900L for a couple reasons, first, they fuel milage is better (not a lot, but better) than a 379-127, second, resale value, you can do a lot better with a T-600, and you can do better with a freightliner, fuel-wise, you can do better with a Volvo. Concider this, and do your research, look on truckpaper.com, look at the prices, the resale on a frieghtliner, or T-600, or 387, or Volvo, is almost non-existent, unless you plan to keep the truck for a very long time, you wont get even what you owe on it when it comes time to sell and trade up. Volvos also have this problem, but also have the additional problem of being the most expensive truck to get repaired.

When it comes to class-8 trucks, resale is a matter to concider, and plastic trucks dont sell, and dont last.

As for APU's, I personaly prefer Carrier, they both have their pros and cons, I have found carriers to be more reliable, TriPaks are ok, but seem to have more problems mechanicaly. Another concideration when choosing an APU, TriPaks hook in to your existing hvac systems, the splice in to your freon hoses on your engine, carriers, are more like a home hvac system, the APU unit itself only provides power to the hvac unit, this means no compressor on the engine to go out as happens with tripaks, the downside to carriers, all that hvac stuff has to go somewhere, and under the bunk is where it goes, it takes up a lot of room, but only marginaly more than the support blowers on a tripak, I have also found the air distribution is much better with a carrier as it uses the ducts already in the truck, not just one blower port under the bunk.

There an incredible amount of information online, your best bet though is to talk to people using these systems and see what they have to say, talk to the sales people at carrier and thermo-king, and do your own comparisons. and dont believe evrything you hear and read about fuel milage, right now Im driving an 08 Int. Prostar, 500hp cummins, set at 65, and my average milage is about 6.1mpg.

Good luck on your search and your decisions.

 

[TeamCaffee]

You are usually not buying a truck for resale value you are buying a truck to make money with.

Pay off the truck as quick as possible and start saving for the next one. A Peterbuilt and a Freightliner both make the same amount of money going down the road but only one of them will put more money in your pocket every time the tires go around.

Do not fall into the trap of resale value buy a truck run the darn thing till it drops and make the most money you can.

 

[LDB]

I put together a W9 specifically for expediting. It was set up with engine, transmission, gearing etc. to be as efficient as possible. With careful and conservative driving I could get 8.1 mpg. Had I built the same thing in a T6 chassis I'm confident I could have gotten at least 9.5 mpg and probably 10 plus. At 100k miles annually for a solo that's 12,500 gallons at 8mpg and 10,000 gallons at 10mpg. Figuring on a 10 year life that's 25,000 gallons difference. The cost of 25,000 gallons of fuel is FAR more than any difference in resale value. Figure fuel at whatever price you want and that's all money in or out of your pocket for truck looks and nothing else. I learned my lesson with the W9 and now have a sterling that's a 10-11 mpg truck.

 

[Moot]

Neverquit, your choice of trucks has me confused. You state you want a KW 900L or a Peterbilt 387. Why these 2 very different trucks? The 900L with, as Crazy put it "the aerodynamics of a brick" is more closely related to its cousin the Pete 379. While the Pete 387 is more aerodynamic and similar to the KW T-2000. And why 550 h.p.?

Also what type of heavy haul did you do? OD stuff with a RGN trailer, jeep axles, dollies and all that good stuff. Or the B-train thing hauling lumber, steel, gravel and such?

Do they really put a driver fresh out of school behind the wheel of an 11 axle rig that can gross 160,000 pounds? Maybe that's why I never feel completely comfortable driving in Michigan. That and the condition of the roads.

 

[neverquit]

first thank you for your insight and advice i appreciate all the help so far . Second, the reason between the KW and PETERBUILT is simply looks . i like the way the KW drives and handles as i drive one now , as for the horsepower wanted to make sure it was adequete for uphill driving under heavy loads wasnt sure if it was over kill but i figured i'd toss it out there and see what u thought. and the reason for the PETERBUILT instead of VOLVO,MACK FREIGHTLINER is simply (in my opinion) quality. dont wanna step on anyones toes , and aerodynamics, estimated fuel milage, and wheel base.
thank team caffee for the radio station update as i was going to suscribe to XM radio also, i appreciate the link also. And ur right i do plan on running this truck for quite some time probally until they make me replace it or until the maintenace exceeds its worth. That being said the reason im not looking an older truck is simply im not an mechanic .older toys come with alot of problems and for me it would seem to make more sense to start out alittle newer so that u dont have a serious problem that could set u up for failure before u get started.
im doing more research into the carrier gen. thank u
moose thank u for your in put as i have read a good amount of your postings and was looking forward to hearing what u had to say and your thoughts mirror my own on the truck year was looking at the 07s but am not familar with the new "clean" engines , will have to ask thedealer about it .
moot to answer your question as i said it was a crappy company that i worked for pulling 8 axle walking floor trailers to and from the land fill. was the only job i could get that paid decent as im sure u all know how the industry handles rookies. illegal log books 14 to16 hours a day and thats not including the hour i had to drive to work and the hour that i had to drive back home.but in an 400 billion dallor business i guess some things get over looked lol. that goes for u also LDB and moot as i know u guys have been around the block a few times looking forward to talking to u in the future. again thanks for the input.

 

[ATeam]

Do not fall into the trap of resale value buy a truck run the darn thing till it drops and make the most money you can.

Makes sense to us. The anticipated resale value of our truck when we move into the next one is $2.95. Maybe a bit more if the fuel tanks are full. We plan to run this puppy past its useful life and into the ground. We hope to have 1.5 million miles on it before even having to think about ordering our next truck.

 

[Streakn1]

If you are really wanting a Kenworth I would strongly suggest the T-600 which KW stopped building after 2007, or the T-660 which replaced the T-600 in 2008. These KW's and the Kenworth T-2000 are much more aerodynamic than the W-900. The hoods allow for much more visibility especially when navigating tight dock areas,etc.

Our 2007 T-600 KW weighs 26,400lbs (just the tractor) and is powered by a 475hp Cummins ISX engine. We have more than enough HP with this engine and the fuel econony to go with it. With the right transmission and drive axle ratios theres no need for the extra horsepower in my experience. We have carried up to 40K with this tractor and it pulled the mountains out west better than most trucks pulling the mountain with us.

Also, it seems that the KW's hold there value longer than many of the rest and that equals better resale potentual if and when the need arises and you need to bailout.

 

[nightcreacher]

if your buying used,gear ratios are going to be ruffly the same.THe kw and pete will get you the best resale value,but your not going into this for resale your in this venture for profit.Volvos are heavy,the aero dynamic trucks will get the best fuel mileage,but alot has to do with your driving ability.High horsepower use in a concervative manner will get your best fuel mileage,but if you use the horsepower,its going to cost you.I have a 500 hp Detroit,that has gotten as much as 9mpg and as low as 3,it just depens on how i drive it,and its in a freightliner that isnt very aero dynamic.It doesnt matter of the slope of the hood,if you have a sun visor your aero dynamics are null and void.I dont have a apu,for the extra 10000 bucks,over a 3 year period,thats a lot of motel rooms,as we dont sleep in the truck,if we stop for more than 10 hours.Ive had trucks with the run fast gears and drive slow idea,one of the truks I set up that way,couldnt get 5 mpg,it just to much hp to leep it rolling.If you run lp 22.5 tires,you may use a 3.42 rear gear,reg lp 24.5,most truck will have a 3.58 gear.Myself,I'm running lp 24.5's with a 3.7,but I run mainly under 63mph,and I average about 7 mpg.truck runs up hill well,and in the wind,but if I'm in a cross wind,as anyone else,your fuel mileage will drop,no matter what kind of truck you have.Tires,I have become partial to Michelin steering tires,im getting 200000 miles out of them.and when i get new thay give me more than caseing for them.Ive run different brand names on my drive axels,they pretty much all last the same mileage,so it just depends on what kind of deal you can get for the cost.The Goodyears have the deepest tread design,and get a little better wear,but its not cost affective.I just took off Dunlaps that went 350000 miles,Ive had Kellys do the same,im noe on a set of Generals,got a good price,was cheap so trying them out,and just havent had them on long enough to form an opinion.One thing was said is very true.Dont buy this truck for resale value,and unless you are independently wealthy,you need a truck that is cost affective,buy the most popular,Peterbilt wont make you one more dime, that that International,you might have passed up.

 

[TeamCaffee]

Michelin Tires web site has a great rolling resistance calculator. You can compare any tire to any tire and see what the rolling resistance is. Often the cheap tire with the deep lug will cost you a fortune in fuel and you could have easily paid for a Michelin or comparable without the deep lug with your fuel savings.

Tires play a huge part in how much fuel your truck will use. The deep lug though it will last you longer has a horrible rolling resistance and will cost you more in the long run. Keeping your tires properly inflated will also help your fuel mileage.

 

[neverquit]

again thanks to all that aswered my questions. i like the michelin tires also as they have been givin some great reveiws and alot of the fleet guys like them but they get a better deal than i do too. cause of quanity. my next question is about maintenance, oil changes and other stuff like that. when do u get your oil changed ? or an complete check up to make sure everything is in good running order? my current boss now will not tell me anything. like trying to get into fort knox lol. i think he thinks im gonna steal his customers. oh well. so far with the info that i've collected from this site and talking to a few others . i've decided to go for the peterbuilt 387 with 475 hp with 3.36 gear ratio dont plan on goin faster than 62 at anytime
as is doesnt pay to speed. as for the generator i did some research i do like the carrior but nightcreacher makes a valid point 10,000 is alot of hotel rooms even in a five year period . is it really worth the cost? looking forward again to hearing from u all thanks

 

[davekc]

Why do I get the sense you are really rushing this without much to go on?

 

[LDB]

If you run expedite seriously you'll burn $10k in hotels in a year or so or you'll burn it in fuel/maint/repair idling the big engine. If you seriously expedite and run a 75% availability level that's over 270 nights. You might be at home but available for some of them so let's say you are away from home 250 nights. At $40 per night that's $10k. If you only idle when you absolutely have to rather than automatically idling every minute you're away from the house you might only idle an average of say 5 hours per day. That's 1250 hours of wear on your engine every year. The likely number of hours is higher though. At 1 gallon per hour of idling that's at least 1250 extra gallons of fuel per year and probably more like 2000 gallons. That many extra hours of idling will likely mean at least 1 extra PM per year. With all that idling that engine that should last say 10 years will be dead in 9 or less and then you've got the expense of a new engine that much sooner. No, there's no substitute for a good APU.

 

[nightcreacher]

Let me just say i have been there, and done that, I have only owned Peterbilts and I still love them deeply, they make the best show trucks hands down. That being said, I recently started looking at trucks, I decided on a W900L for a couple reasons, first, they fuel milage is better (not a lot, but better) than a 379-127, second, resale value, you can do a lot better with a T-600, and you can do better with a freightliner, fuel-wise, you can do better with a Volvo. Concider this, and do your research, look on truckpaper.com, look at the prices, the resale on a frieghtliner, or T-600, or 387, or Volvo, is almost non-existent, unless you plan to keep the truck for a very long time, you wont get even what you owe on it when it comes time to sell and trade up. Volvos also have this problem, but also have the additional problem of being the most expensive truck to get repaired.

When it comes to class-8 trucks, resale is a matter to concider, and plastic trucks dont sell, and dont last.

As for APU's, I personaly prefer Carrier, they both have their pros and cons, I have found carriers to be more reliable, TriPaks are ok, but seem to have more problems mechanicaly. Another concideration when choosing an APU, TriPaks hook in to your existing hvac systems, the splice in to your freon hoses on your engine, carriers, are more like a home hvac system, the APU unit itself only provides power to the hvac unit, this means no compressor on the engine to go out as happens with tripaks, the downside to carriers, all that hvac stuff has to go somewhere, and under the bunk is where it goes, it takes up a lot of room, but only marginaly more than the support blowers on a tripak, I have also found the air distribution is much better with a carrier as it uses the ducts already in the truck, not just one blower port under the bunk.

There an incredible amount of information online, your best bet though is to talk to people using these systems and see what they have to say, talk to the sales people at carrier and thermo-king, and do your own comparisons. and dont believe evrything you hear and read about fuel milage, right now Im driving an 08 Int. Prostar, 500hp cummins, set at 65, and my average milage is about 6.1mpg.

Good luck on your search and your decisions.

Im running a 2004 freightliner coronado,500 detroit 3.70 gears and a smart shift 10 speed,computer shows life time average of 6.88 mpg,thats for almost 700000 miles.Granted the squared off trucks with the long hoods dont get the best fuel mileage,but the aero dynamic trycks if they have a sun visor,loose the aero dynamics.Ive owned quite a few Cats,my best one was the 1999 550,it was turned up to a little over 600,and lifetime fuel mileage at 800000 miles was 6.33 and that was in a freight liner classic.My 1995 w900 got 6,27 life time it had the 455 cat turned up to 525,my 1996 KW studio w900 had a 475 and it had trouble getting 5 mpg,so i sold it.