Good Truck News ... For Some One Else (Sigh)

ATeam · Feb 9, 2013

zorry said:
If you stay, CARB will cost you loads or money to upgrade.
If you sell the truck, the CARB issue will decrease the value to some.
It would make it undesirable to some.
As equipped it will still be very marketable to a smaller group.
W/O CARB it'd be a truck many more people would love to own.

So I believe CARB is possibly hurting you even as you exit the industry.

All true, except that I don't need a lot of people to buy the truck. I only need one. Theoretically, the more people that are interested in the truck, the better price we can get for it, but I don't think it is all that clear.

This will be a used truck in the used truck market. If we spent the $40,000 to replace the reefer and make the truck engine CARB compliant, that would change the market price of the truck very little if at all. It's a used truck that will get what it will get. It's that simple.

Among others, we have had inquiries from traveling construction contractors, race car teams, and tractor operators who would convert this truck into a tractor. The market is not limited to expediters. The truck will get what it will get, and whoever buys it will buy it.

davekc · Feb 10, 2013

If the vehicle has a broader appeal to folks outside of expediting, you may be able to pitch it to several dealers and sell it on consignment. In the past, those numbers were anywhere from 8 to 20 percent of the sales price.
Of course for that to work and be successful, the truck has to be priced appropriately. A cross section of dealers should be able to get you to that number.
Without a purchase of a new vehicle, this may be a viable alternative as many dealers will give you basically wholesale and little else to take it off your hands.

zorry · Feb 10, 2013

A dealer to definitely check would be Shelby Elliot in Sikeston,Mo.
He specializes in large sleepered trucks. You can see him from 1-55.

I personally sold my last 5 trucks. Two I had talked to a dealer about. In 97 dlr offered $10,000. I sold to a friend for $30,000. It was high priced but exceptionally nice truck.
A few years ago a dlr offered me $10,000 trade in for my COE expeditor. I sold it last year for $27,000 after advertising it on EO.
I had a 3176 piece of crap. Told a guy it was crap and he bought it for the pay-off which was a good deal for both of us.

I can understand Phil just wanting to leave it at a dlr and walking away.
Walking away from $10,000 grand or so I don't understand.
Also, leaving it on consignment opens up leaving insurance on it, plates on it,etc, Most insurance will cancel if not leased to a motor carrier.
I'd highly recommend retailing it.
Plenty of time, and a desirable truck.
Should be a piece of cake.
Maybe work out that the Volvo handles financing if buyer cannot secure his own.

davekc · Feb 10, 2013

You would have to keep the insurance and plates active on consignment but if it is priced right, you would only be talking a month or two. If you can pick up another 10k, that is a cheap investment. If the truck is higher priced, then a dealer has some advantages with regards to financing. With credit being tighter than years past, it has to be considered in the equation.

ATeam · Feb 11, 2013

Diane and I have not owned five trucks or more in our ten-year expediting career. We have only owned one. Having never sold a truck before, all good thoughts shared in this thread are being considered.

ATeam · Feb 11, 2013

Clutch replaced. A careful inspection of the transmission revealed no other other issues. To the extent such a thing is possible, it was a good day in the shop.

paullud · Feb 11, 2013

ATeam said:
Clutch replaced. A careful inspection of the transmission revealed no other other issues. To the extent such a thing is possible, it was a good day in the shop.

No tears while writing the check?

ATeam · Feb 12, 2013

paullud said:
No tears while writing the check?

It helped that the cost was lower than expected ($5,000 and change). It also helped to learn that the issue was the clutch alone. It was a relief to have the transmission inspected and found to be in good shape. (The harness is a different issue).

No tears. The alternative is to try to limp along out there knowing that the clutch is unreliable and that a breakdown and tow-in to an unknown dealership would be possible if not probable, and that in the event of such a breakdown, repair costs could be much higher.

There is no choice. When something, large or small, is found wrong on your truck, it becomes a priority to repair it. Neglected maintenance and postponed repairs never get better on their own, and they always cost more to deal with down the road.

One of the best ways to keep your operating costs down is to keep your truck up.

ATeam · Feb 22, 2013

ATeam said:
I could say, truthfully, that in ideal conditions, this truck gets 12 mpg. But this is the real world where conditions are rarely ideal. According to the spedometer reading over the last several months, we are getting 9.3 mpg. It varies by season.

To that seasonal point, let me add that we have been driving in warmer temps in recent weeks and down south. Doing nothing to the truck that would affect fuel economy, the last several tanks of fuel have produced 9.6 mpg. The difference, I believe, is in the air density. Colder air is more dense. It takes more energy, thus more fuel, to push a truck through it.