Best straight truck on the market?

Twistedsmoke · Oct 28, 2013

Hello everyone. I was wanting some opinions on what the best straight truck on the market is? As far as make, options, etc..? Also, what would be some options that would be a "must have" so to speak? Thanks in advance everyone!

ATeam · Oct 28, 2013

Twistedsmoke said:
Hello everyone. I was wanting some opinions on what the best straight truck on the market is? As far as make, options, etc..? Also, what would be some options that would be a "must have" so to speak? Thanks in advance everyone!

Asking that question is a bit like asking, what is the best church to go to? People's answers will be driven by their beliefs, comfort zones, and personal preferences. There is no "best" straight truck because the beliefs, comfort zones and personal preferences of expediters vary greatly. Also, there are many ways of running an expedite business and your business model of choice will do much to drive your truck features of choice.

Before you ask what the best truck is, decide first what you wish to accomplish as an expediter. Once you know what kind of expediting business you want to operate, the "best" truck for you will come more clearly into view.

Regarding must-have options, the story is the same. After you decide how you wish to operate, your must-have options will suggest themselves.

So, Twistedsmoke, let me ask you, what kind of expediting business do you intend to run? What is it that you wish to accomplish as an expediter?

By way of example, let me share Diane's and my answers to those questions and the way the answers drove our truck choice.

We entered the business wanting to (a) increase our income, (2) simplify our lives (3) spend more time together, (4) share in a business project and (5) see the country.

Increase income could be accomplished by specializing in premium freight and services (White Glove). Items 2-4 would be mostly automatic in any form of the expedite business. Seeing the country drove us to a carrier that hauls freight nationwide. It also involved a recreational component and a personal preference for comfort, thus the "need" for a big sleeper with all the bells and whistles.

You have talked about a team operation with a friend. Those relationships seldom last long so while a big sleeper might be desirable, you should plan on one of you finding yourself alone with the truck while the other one finds other work. Since you are running a team operation but not a married-couple team operation, it would be unwise to put a bunch of money into a full-featured truck.

It would be very wise to drive a fleet owner's truck first to learn the business and test your team dynamics. If you fail as a team, you simply return the truck. If you succeed, you and your co-driver will know a great deal more about how to answer your "best truck" question.

New people, even those who do a great amount of research, have a hard time grasping what the business is really like until they actually jump in. I suggest for you and your co-driver that this is not the time to design your future in the business. This is the time to get into a fleet owner's truck and learn the business.

The fleet owner has already made the truck and truck options decisions, freeing you to work the business as the fleet owner suggests, thereby learning the business and, over time, empowering yourself to answer the "best truck" questions you have on your mind now.

tenntrucker · Oct 28, 2013

A loaded one not breaking down.

sent from my Galaxy S3

Mailer · Oct 28, 2013

Welcome to Monday morning!

I'm in a cargo van and know nothing about the straight truck.

But, if I decided to get one. It would be a used one with good maintenance records, low miles. The one that has replacement parts readily available everywhere and easy to work on. And..the cost that is 1/3 of a brand new one......hmmmm, I wonder what would that be? It's got to be one out there somewhere, lol.

layoutshooter · Oct 28, 2013

Mailer said:
Welcome to Monday morning! I'm in a cargo van and know nothing about the straight truck.

But, if I decided to get one. It would be a used one with good maintenance records, low miles. The one that has replacement parts readily available everywhere and easy to work on. And..the cost that is 1/3 of a brand new one......hmmmm, I wonder what would that be? It's got to be one out there somewhere, lol.

Again, this depends on what your goals are in this industry. A used truck will go out of compliance in CA far quicker than a new one will. Whether or not that makes a difference to your business plan is a personal choice but must be considered. One can expect these profit killing regulations to spread to other states over the next few years. Which will further drive up operating costs and limit the choices for expediters.

Mailer · Oct 28, 2013

Agree with layoutshooter

there's got to be a perfect medium somewhere that you don't have to invest your life savings to start this business just to bring a very small profits.

May be there are the newer model of the wrecked straight trucks out there with a reduced price? Just a thought.

For now, I'm am a cargo van expeditor......financially less riskier

LDB · Oct 28, 2013

My choices in order would be Kenworth and Volvo as far as quality and reliability. After that I'm not sure which ones I'd consider. I wouldn't buy a Hino or a Sterling unless it was on sale for a dollar or two, maybe even three at most.

Mailer · Oct 28, 2013

LDB said:
I wouldn't buy a Hino or a Sterling unless it was on sale for a dollar or two, maybe even three at most.

Hahaha

we really need to see more of this humorous comments on Monday so the rest of the week will be good no matter you get the load or not, lol.
Thanks Leo!

spongebox1 · Oct 28, 2013

tenntrucker said:
A loaded one not breaking down.

sent from my Galaxy S3

That about sums it up right there!!

Sent from my VS910 4G using EO Forums mobile app

rodeehos · Oct 28, 2013

get a class 8 truck. no comparison to class 7. will spend a little more up front, but well worth it.

summer · Oct 29, 2013

rodeehos said:
get a class 8 truck. no comparison to class 7. will spend a little more up front, but well worth it.

Thanks for sharing K-Touch T6

Twistedsmoke · Oct 29, 2013

Thank you A-Team for the well rounded response. Much like you, I would like to increase my income, while seeing the country. I want to get a truck that would be compliant with all states, is "comfortable to live in", and one that would open the options of different freight that I could carry. I have been wondering what White Glove was, so thank you for touching on that.

Twistedsmoke · Oct 29, 2013

Thank you rodeehos. I will def research the two. What are the advantages of a class 8, over a class 7?

Twistedsmoke · Oct 29, 2013

I have had some experience with Freightliners, Kenworths, and Peterbuilts from a previous job. Mainly Tractors and no straight trucks though. I didn't know if they would handle the same or not. Steering wise the freightliners were great. The peterbuilts couldn't turn worth a ****. All around I guess kenworths are the better choice, although I've never driven a Volvo. Which would be easier to buy/find parts for?

guido4475 · Oct 29, 2013

If I were to go back into a straight it would be either a Kenworth or a Peterbuilt. The quality and fit and finish is unheard of, as well as the reliability. The dealer networks are great, but not as many as a Freightliner, but not as long of a wait as a freightliner dealer has, either. Higher resale value. Yes, the cab is not as roomy as the competition, but it suited me just fine for the t-300 I had. There is so much class 8 in a k-w and pete class 7.They are just built to last.

tenntrucker · Oct 29, 2013

I personally don't care for Peterbuilt & Kws small cabs. I don't see a big difference in most of them, most have the same drivetrains.

sent from my Galaxy S3

jelliott · Oct 29, 2013

I agree. I am partial to Freightliner powered by Detroit. I think a big part of what makes a truck "good" is parts and service options. We find Freightliner has better coverage and options than most.

davekc · Oct 29, 2013

Most of it is a mixed bag. Petes and Kenworths have higher resale, more durable, and better service network. Volvos are light on service and have a heavy front end for straight truck applications.
Freightliners are cheaper and have a larger cab which teams like.
They do have many service points but only a handful are worth anything. Either poor service, way over priced, or it takes them a week to do the smallest of repairs.

pearlpro · Oct 29, 2013

Ive had excellent results with a Freightliner M2 106, Ive got the Allison H 3000 Auto trans, and the Mercedes 900 series engine @ 350 hp, its a 33,000 lb rated truck, it gets great fuel mileage usually around 9-10 mpg, its got a roomie cab, comfortable hi back WIDE seats, Air brakes, all the features and switches and upfitter switches etc...its been a reliable truck although I have had to get the EGR system rehabbed which cost nearly 3500.00 and the air conditioner had some work at nearly 1000.00 but other then that its been a reliable vehicle, Ive operated in sub zero, and 117 degree climates, mountains and deserts and its done a good job. I am partial to the Freightliner as there are dealers everywhere but I tend to do business with one dealer to make the relationship work for me, Neely-Coble in Nashville.

Oil changes cost about 185.00 at any Speedco, and I use Speedco for almost all my service on highway or Neely Coble when Im in that area, you can do the service yourself if you prefer its easy to get to all the filters etc, grease, and rear end and I carry Shell Rotella Conventional oil and Lucas Grease as well as a spare set of filters from Fleetguard.

The truck has a 24' box with Swing doors and Dolly Legs installed at the rear, I have extra rubber bumpers installed dock high and extra LED lighting installed in the box, the LEDs lets me run the lighting long term without worry of running down the battery when you cant idle....Im about to replace all my outside lights with LEDS as well. I have three rows of E track, one on the floor, one about 24" high and the other 36" above that, I keep 4 Etrack load bars and 2 of the light duty load bars, as well as 10 Load straps with ratchets, and 10 moving blankets.

Those are the basics....and whats worked for me,

ATeam · Oct 30, 2013

We love our Volvo straight truck (purchased new in 2006). If we were to build another, it would be a Volvo tractor with a Volvo engine and transmission.

Service has not been an issue in the time we have owned this truck. You can take a Volvo to Speedco and truck stop shops just like you can take other trucks. Service at Volvo dealers is vastly superior to the service we came to know at Freighliner dealers when we drove fleet-owner trucks for three years.

While some good Frieghtliner dealers can be found, we learned that a larger number of them are simply awful and some are nightmares to deal with. That's one of the main reasons we chose Volvo over Freightliner when we bought our truck. Yes, Freightliner has more service providers around the country, but when more are bad than good, is that a crap-shoot you want to subject yourself to when your work takes you nationwide and you never know when the truck may need unexpected service?

That said, it has been over six years since we had occasion to visit a Freightliner dealer. Maybe things have improved in that time. For the sake of people who own Freightliners, I sure hope so.

Front-end weight is a function of axle placement. Over the years I have heard of several trucks, of all brands, that came off the dealer lot heavy on the front end. That was not because the truck itself weighed too much. It was because the people who spec'ed the trucks placed the axles incorrectly. While almost any dealer will be delighted to build a straight truck for you and fully confident in his ability to do so, spec'ing an expediter truck is not as straightforward of a process as it may seem.