What to buy?

[Michael1]

Well after several years at looking at this business I may enter soon.

I have an intent letter from one of the major carriers and working on the Pre-qualifying financing so I can do some serious truck shopping. Any information you experienced folks can give would be most appreciated. C or D 7or8, Generator, box size, sleeper size, engine size, manual or auto shift, auto chains, lift, Insurance.
Thank you,
Michael- MN

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Here's a hypothetical. Do you buy a car without testdriving it? Do you buy a house without walking through it? Do you go in to get a job without asking what your responsibilities will be? My guess is no. Then why do ppl buy a truck without ever testing the waters by driving for someone else?

EO is full of horror stories of ppl who have no idea of what they're getting into. They buy a truck, find out they don't like the lifestyle, then leave after a month or two. Or, they find out they don't have what it takes, then lose their shirt when they can't make the truck payment. Sometimes that means losing the house, also.

My advice, along with 99% of the ppl on EO, is to drive for someone else first. Find a reputable owner in a reputable company, and go drive. Give it at least 3 months... preferably 6. I know the lure of all this "wealth" is tempting, but it's harder than it looks. This isn't an easy field. And only experience will make it easier.

 

[dukesadog]

You should screech to a complete halt right away. That letter of intent means nothing if you havent actually been hired yet. I would wait until after you get hired as in take your physical/drug screen and your background comes back.

This very thing almost happened to us, we had a letter of intent and thought oooo ahhhh we're in like flint and almost dropped 60 grand on a new truck but held off only to find out that the physician didnt allow me to drive with the thyroid condition I had at the time even though I passed other dot physicals

Where would I be if I had bought that truck....watching someone else drive it. Aside from that problem companies dont do preliminary checks anymore so they are waiting for you to show up, they might have checked your MVR and thats what they based that intent letter on.

I would be very cautious.

dukesadog
25 yrs driving
retired

 

[davekc]

You spent alot of time trashing Panther and how they wouldn't sell you a truck in previous posts. (whatever that meant). Now you are saying you failed a DOT physical. What did you expect them to do?
Just because you passed somewhere else doesn't mean they should except the same results.
I am assuming it was a case of just venting?

Davekc
owner
21 years
PantherII

 

[Michael1]

“Here's a hypothetical. Do you buy a car without testdriving it?â€

No I Don’t- I know some who Do. I will test before I buy.


“You should screech to a complete halt right away. That letter of intent means nothing if you havent actually been hired yet.â€

You are right, and I would not buy until I had a contract with the carrier. I have good credit, clean Driving record and no criminal history and 15 years in the Transit Business, Dot Card and FAA class 1.

“EO is full of horror stories of ppl who have no idea of what they're getting into. They buy a truck, find out they don't like the lifestyle, then leave after a month or two. Or, they find out they don't have what it takes, then lose their shirt when they can't make the truck payment. Sometimes that means losing the house, also.â€

Very understandable, I have been researching the business for several years, I used to drive a Dock Truck and I have a chunk of money for reserves and realize this is a 5-year commitment.

I thank you folks for your input but fell my question is still not answered and I would appreciate some feedback on it. If you have experience with purchasing and owning a truck please respond. I will repost the question:

“I can do some serious truck shopping. Any information you experienced folks can give would be most appreciated. C or D 7or8, Generator, box size, sleeper size, engine size, manual or auto shift, auto chains, lift, Insurance.
Thank you,
Michael

 

[highway star]

If you do an archive search you will find that everything you asked about has been discussed here. You will probably not find a lot of concensus on most of these issues. The one thing you will probably find universal agreement in is that a generator is a good idea. But which one to get is more of a debate. Good luck! Sounds like you're doing a good job of due diligence.

 

[jaminjim]

Kill two birds with one stone, consider driving for an owner for three months who has a truck that you would consider buying. That way you get your learning curve in with the help of a good owner, all the while seeing what your likes and dislikes are for your truck purchase.

You never know you might land a super truck like one of Dave's, heck one of them had two or three generators on it. ( kind of an inside joke. )

I have owned up to three trucks at one time, (these were used to deliver our products in the tri state area ) and have owned at least one truck since 1984, admittedly they were local trucks and ran less than 40,000 miles a year, but that experience did very little to prepare me for the expense that my last two over the road trucks have cost me.

I think if you are willing to make a five year commitment, why not make it a five year three month one and get the truck closer to what you want / need.

In order to better help you with your options it would be helpful to know more about you and what your basic must haves are.

1. Run single or team.
2. A five year commitment to driving or to the industry, maybe become owner keeping first truck on the road as you buy second and third truck. what is on the truck will dictate how easy it is for resale and who can buy it.
3. Will you stay out for ten days or three weeks. this will help you decide how much sleeper you want / need.
4. For the long haul is your comfort more important than $20,000 spread over five years.

 

[dukesadog]

I see that you davekc regularly respond to my posts with total negativity yet when my wife privately emailed you back in March of last year regarding Panther 2 you gave her a bunch of worthless incorrect information that eventually cost us alot of money, I especially thought it was interesting when my recruiter told me you had no affiliation with P-2

Since you failed to read all the way through here it is again..Easter Sunday..arrived.. Told by P-2 that there was a bus station 22 miles south of Seville..fact is its 40 miles south and oh yeah..the taxi number they gave me was for a service that was out of business two years prior...hiked in through Amish country the 38 miles, thumb extended.. Was told there was a reservation at the hotel...no reservation..Arrived at Orientation with medication/Dr's letter of what it is and why I take it...Panther uses a PA ( Physicians Assistant) whom did not call anyone to verfify what the drug was plus never heard of the condition so she figured she wouldnt bother calling even with a certified letter from my real Dr. And by the way..I just passed Roadway Express' physical which is the toughest on the planet..given by qualified Physical Therapists/Drs (was going to give P-2 a shot and choose between the two co's)

They said they could pass me if I got some new bloodwork done the next day at their facility at my expense, my bloodwork document was 10 days old.

Upon arriving at P-2 they sent some 17 year old kid out representing the guy I was to see ( he was unavalible) the recruiter was also unavalible, Plus I was told that my background was checked which they told me otherwise upon arriving. There was a Team there from the previous weeks orientation who's background still was not checked and they were held up for 9 days?

I would guess it was approximately 50 degrees in the garage where the physical was given, I live in Florida where its 80 so my body couldnt warm up while I was standing there being probed by an obnoxious un-professional PA...while I was standing there I was thinking about what in gods name am I doing here?

So I told Joe Safety that I was leaving...thats when the missing recruiter suddenly appeared along with his sidekick Carl looking for our downpayment cash..so see Davekc..you might be blowing smoke about this or that but I was there and thought if they are running things like this now what will it be like later on...not one smiling face upon arrival? no hello's welcome to P-2 nothing.

I enjoy watching you respond to these posts of well yeah..you can make whatever k in a year if you do this..which is unrealistic..you are not the only one who's been out there driving for 29 years either.

I used my P-2 experience as a wake up call to myself to get out of driving all together...I then found that with my other skills that I could make 3 times the money and never leave the beach.

The question that was responded to here was the guy stating he had a letter of intent...so your saying that he would automatically get hired no matter what..so if something didnt check out in his background later on after the truck was purchased they would say...sure its okay that you offed that guy 20 years ago with a chainsaw...we need drivers.

I know those guys monitor my forum letters and I've swept it under the rug..dont care I make more $$ than I ever could with them anyway I was merely trying to answer the guys question but as long as I'm attacked by people who have no clue as to what happened when I was there, by people that werent there then they will get letters like this one.

Dukesadog
Neptune Beach Fl

 

[davekc]

davekc regularly respond to my posts with total negativity yet when my wife privately emailed you back in March of last year regarding Panther 2 you gave her a bunch of worthless incorrect information that eventually cost us alot of money, I especially thought it was interesting when my recruiter told me you had no affiliation with P-2

Your too funny.
Yes I gave totally inaccurate information that was only available to you.
I'm not sure who Panther is or whether they know me:7
By the way, a letter of intent means just that. It doesn't mean you are contracted at that point.
I have no clue as to your orientation experience. Your right, I wasn't present.

Davekc
owner
21 years
PantherII

 

[Michael1]

Hi Jim and Karin.

1. Run single or team.
Single

2. A five-year commitment to driving or to the industry, maybe become owner keeping first truck on the road as you buy second and third truck. what is on the truck will dictate how easy it is for resale and who can buy it.
Just one

3. Will you stay out for ten days or three weeks. this will help you decide how much sleeper you want / need.
4weeks plus

4. For the long haul is your comfort more important than $20,000 spread over five years.
Not sure what you mean on this.
I do think if your going to stay on the road for long periods of time the truck should be something you enjoy being in rather than something you can't wait to get out of. Even on local drives the comfort of your equipment can make your day.
Regards,
Michael

 

[ATeam]

A distinct advantage of driving fleet owner trucks before buying a truck of your own is learning first-hand what truck features you desire and what ones you can do without. Once you are on the road in a fleet truck, you'll have numerous opportunities to strike up conversations with other expediters. Many will happily provide truck tours and truck-buying advice. That kind of in-person, face-to-face, looking-at-the-truck-while-the-driver-talks-about-it advice is best obtained before you commit to a truck of your own. Even then, you'll have some sorting to do. If you ask 10 owners what truck brand is best, you'll hear most brands mentioned. If there was one right truck or one properly-configured truck, most people would own it.

If you ask a truck owner what truck is best for that owner, he or she can give you an accurate answer. If you ask a truck owner what truck is best for you to own, it puts the owner in a difficult position since the owner knows little about your needs, desires, work habits, business skills and ability to generate an income.

That's why it can be very helpful to drive a fleet truck first. It will give you the chance to prove to yourself that you can make it in the industry (some can't), and it will give you the opportunity to better understand what you want and need in a truck of your own.