Mechanic looking for expediter straight truck

[masstruck]

Hi there,
I have a 2003 20' chevy7500 cat 3126 auto with hydraulic brakes.26k gvw
I'm looking to up grade with a sleeper and more HP. have seen several expediters and caught my curiosity.
Do I need to go to 33k gvw to get the HP CDL is not an issue and I travel less than 135mi. as a mobile mechanic.
I can't stand this 3126 210HP. Dog is too good for this sled. I can make coffee before making the hill.
I live in the Boston area. so I don't see alot of your trucks. Any thoughts?????
Thanks Ted

 

[cableguymn]

It's dangerously close to the 10 year old mark.. At that point it won't be allowed on to many auto sites.

Find a used truck that means your needs. After a new engine, sleeper and smaller box you'll likely have the cost of a good used truck already spec'd the way you want.

Get your class B with air brakes. The big carriers are going to require a CDL with hazmat most likely in a 26,000 gvw truck anyways.

Then, while your at it. Get a 33,000+ truck. No reason to leave freight on the table because the truck can't carry it.

 

[masstruck]

Thanks Guys,
I'm a mobile mechanic, not into trucking. Looking for advice from experienced guys, sick of reinventing the wheel.
The questions are:
are most of the expeditors 33k with tandem
what's the trade off point that you change your truck, mileage wise, I see most trucks listed are around 750k mi.
What HP/ gear ratio makes the most sense
When you trade in trucks is it mostly trucks are worn out or getting out of the business

Thanks for the replies any help is great. Ted

 

[cableguymn]

33K trucks have a single rear axle. 20,000 GVW in the rear 13,000 in the front. twin rear axle trucks are around 48,000 gvw. 750,000 miles is right around 5 years of driving. That is normally the time the IRS says you can no longer depreciate the value of the truck. So many buy new ones at that time.

are some rode hard and put away wet? Yes. Dyno testing and oil sample testing can give you a good idea of the health of the engine.

More HP and lower gears means fewer MPG. Many of us run the tallest gears and the smallest motor we can handle

 

[Rocketman]

Thanks Guys,
I'm a mobile mechanic, not into trucking. Looking for advice from experienced guys, sick of reinventing the wheel.
The questions are:
are most of the expeditors 33k with tandem
what's the trade off point that you change your truck, mileage wise, I see most trucks listed are around 750k mi.
What HP/ gear ratio makes the most sense
When you trade in trucks is it mostly trucks are worn out or getting out of the business

Thanks for the replies any help is great. Ted

A little more info would help. Do you know how much weight you generally carry in the truck? Even the Class 8 trucks will legally carry 8-10,000 lbs as a single axle. I doubt you have any more weight than that.

I would look for an older truck for what your doing. Pre '04, before emissions. The last thing you want to deal with on a local truck is egr problems. I think some '03's have egr too, so be sure to check.

750,000 on a class 8 pre-egr truck (same cab and chasis as 18 wheeler tractor, just stretched frame) is fine of it has been well cared for. It doesn't sound like your going to put a lot of miles on it and at 750k, the class 8 trucks still have some left in 'em. I would personally recommend a pre-egr Detroit...well known for at least a million miles before needing a rebuild.

The class 7 trucks would do the job for you also, but I've never owned one, so I can't give you any advice on that. Most are going to have a smaller motor in them than the class 8 trucks, but they would probably still have all you need and then some.

 

[masstruck]

Thanks Rocketman, I'm learning alot. See if this helps.
I looking for a 33kgvw, 60-72" full sleeper, single axle, 22' box somewhere around 310-400HP, air ride, 3.25-3.58 ratio ( would this be a truck that would resell quickly )
I carry about 6k, a 26k truck might do, though hard to find anything with over 300HP and air.
I'm up in Boston, so limited search. I see Bulldog in Ga. any comment about them? Anyother sources, maybe private?

 

[Rocketman]

Thanks Rocketman, I'm learning alot. See if this helps.
I looking for a 33kgvw, 60-72" full sleeper, single axle, 22' box somewhere around 310-400HP, air ride, 3.25-3.58 ratio ( would this be a truck that would resell quickly )
I carry about 6k, a 26k truck might do, though hard to find anything with over 300HP and air.
I'm up in Boston, so limited search. I see Bulldog in Ga. any comment about them? Anyother sources, maybe private?

Now that we can work with! I'm not sure, but to get above 300hp, you may have to go with a class8. The class 8's will cost a little more, but hold up better with the miles and hold their resale better also. If you look for a 2000-2003 model, you should be able to pick one up for $12k-$15k depending on condition.

Resale for expediter trucks drops off quickly after the 10 year mark as a lot of carriers like to have 10 years or newer equipment. But, for what your doing, taking advantage of that price drop will help you out on the front-end. You might drop back to some of the late 90's model trucks and find a real bargain if the miles are not too high.

Do a search on here for Bulldog. They have been used and talked about by other members...don't recall it being favorable. One of the best places to look for used trucks is truckpaper.com. They actually have an expediter category. The classifieds here on EO are very good too.

 

[masstruck]

Thanks again Rocketman,
I've been looking at the truckpaper for quite awhile. I saw bulldog had several units and they are in Ga. not too far from Boston. If I have to fly, I need to do it for more than one truck. Any big dealers around????
I've seen truck HP from 200-500. Having a truck with 210HP I know I need more, and I know
400Hp is too much. Class 8 is going to handle the weight, braking and HP. (and hopefully resale)
If anyone hears of a truck of interest PLEASE let me know, and I'll keep looking in the truck paper.
Thanks Ted

 

[Rocketman]

Good luck

 

[masstruck]

Good luck

Thanks Rocketman, I looked into bulldog's postings, Thanks

Being brand new to all of this, it's a real eye opener.

When looking at a straight truck posts they mention DYNO testing, paperwork, and oil sampling. Is this something the dealer has or will do, or is this something I have to do?

Thanks Ted

 

[Rocketman]

Ive never actually purchased from a truck dealer, but I doubt they would pay for it. I think the idea is to get it narrowed to a couple of trucks and get the price haggled out...with the understanding that you will want to do a final inspection. Then, take the truck to a shop not affiliated with the seller and get a thorough dot inspection, dyno test, ecm printout and oil sample. I would never trust the dealer supplied info.

There is a few hundred dollars worth of stuff listed there, so obviously, you want to have a pretty short list before you start.

Greg or some of the other guys can offer better advice on all of that. The trucks Ive bought over the years were usually cheap enough and in good enough shape that I was going to buy 'em anyway and just take the chance.

 

[masstruck]

I'm not sure who Greg is? Thanks You've been a big help. Ted

 

[gospelriders]

i think he is talking about greg 334 on here. seems like he has a lot of knowledge on various subjects, you could send him a pm.

 

[Slacktide]

There are two schools of thought on the dyno test. Here is mine, dont dyno a old high milage truck. When the truck is on the dyno they run the ever lovin [fill in expletive here] out of it. To dyno most would be signing it's death certificate. You will likely never run it that hard.

Doing an oil analysis would be a good idea,if whoever is selling it hasn't recently changed the oil. If they have it would likely not provide much info.

Best of luck

Sent from my SCH-I500 using EO Forums

 

[Slacktide]

Hey Rocket....weren't you thinking of selling your truck?

Sent from my SCH-I500 using EO Forums

 

[Rocketman]

Done did. Working on the van/hibernatin

 

[masstruck]

Thanks Slack,
Great advice, I'm learning everyday.
I talked to a dealer around here and they said, they never dyno a class 7 yet, since it's about $1000, and if I'm not interested in it they're out $$$$$ He also said he rarely gets paperwork, so amout of work done on the truck is questionable. So my search continues.
I'll have to plan my mid west trip. Thanks Ted

 

[Turtle]

The truck you are looking for is a truck for expediting. So, I gotta ask, what does a mobile mechanic who stays within 135 miles of home need with an expediter truck, with a sleeper? I would think that a mobile mechanic could get better use for cheaper, out of a, you know, mobile mechanic's truck.

 

[greg334]

$1000 for a dyno?

Must be a east coast fleecing.

Dyno cost less than a couple hundred at most. It has to include a blowby test which will tell you the conditions of the cylinders. If the thing produces an average of 65% of the rated HP, then it is a truck that has been used, but you want to get something like 70 to 75% a minimum.

Oil Analysis is a must, be sure to ask when the oil was changed last, some don't change oil when they are selling the truck.

As for finding one, they are all over the place - start with Truck paper and check out ebay to get an idea.

 

[masstruck]

Hi turtle

You asked a valid question, why I'm looking for an expeditor.
I'm recently divorced,4 children, twins in college, and high child support. I thought a sleeper would be something I can live in. Box trucks have always worked better for security reasons, and bigger engine is what I would like.

A prior idea: I had thought I'd partition off part of the box, for sleeping quarters, and so on......
then I saw an expeditor and thought it's something to consider?????

Asking for HELP from the professionals might save me from costly mistakes that I might make getting a truck I couldn't sell later. Again thanks Ted