Buying Old vs New Trucks: Pros and Cons (Price, Repair cost, Fuel-efficiency, Comfort, Safety)
VloĆŸit
- Äas pĆidĂĄn 2. 06. 2024
- What is the best truck for owner-operators? Should you buy an older or newer truck?
Our driver Dave has been in the trucking industry for 22 years working both in oilfields and on highways, he has driven both older trucks and newer trucks and has driven trucks of different models.
Today, he shares his insight on whether if it's better to buy an older or newer truck as an owner-operator, and what he personally thinks is the better option.
He also discusses the difference in prices between older and newer trucks, the difference in repair and maintenance costs, cost of parts, the fuel-efficiency between old and new trucks, their comfort and safety. He touches on topics such as the DEF, emission systems, cruise control, and other functions.
Hopefully after watching this video, you will have a better idea of what type of truck is the most suitable for your career as an owner-operator.
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Soundtrack:
Sun Dog - Tiger Gang
Pop Filter - Alternate Endings
DeMarcus VanBuren - Old Skool
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:45 New trucks typically come with better and longer warranty
02:21 Cons of buying a new truck
02:36 More specialized parts require more specialized mechanics
03:01 More specialized parts also mean more chance for malfunctions
03:25 Con #2: New trucks are more expensive
04:03 Pros of buying an old truck
04:16 You can pay off an old truck much faster than a new truck, which makes the success rate of leasing or financing higher
04:29 Pro #2: No emissions
04:42 Having less downtime can greatly affect your bottom line
04:53 Pro #3: Cheaper parts
05:17 If you're smart about the old truck you purchase, you may actually spend less repairing it vs a new truck
05:42 Preventative maintenance is much cheaper than repairs when big parts stop working
06:44 CONS of buying an old truck #1: more mileage
06:59 Con #2: less comfortable
07:19 Con #3: Longer history
09:07 Things to check for when buying a truck
09:51 Look at parts based on what the truck was originally used for
12:38 The shorter the lease term is on your truck, the higher your success rate will be
These words are worth Millions of Dollars, they are not just Words, these are Experiences gained by this Person over the years, driving millions of kilometres.
Great Knowledge.
Very true indeed. đ
When it comes to comfort a high quality seat makes a huge difference most over looked part of trucking companies
So freaking true, literally one of the most important parts of the whole job always over looked
Most underrated comment
I drive a 2013 Volvo FH, and I can't find a damn seat setting that is comfortable. Having a good seat becomes especially important if you drive a cabover truck like we do in Europe. Since you sit atop on the front axel, all vibrations go directly to your spine, and you feel that toward the end of the week.
@@grejsancoprative I don't drive that truck by I do have a volvo usa, not sure if the seats are different but what helped me a lot was when I found out I could slide the base of it out after that takes about 6 hours of sitting for my butt to get sore. Probably more like 2 if it were a cab over
KENWORTH T600/680 ARE THE MOST COMFORTABLES FOR ME.... & THE POWER IS ALSO GREAT...đđđ
I've been a company driver for over 20 years and I wouldn't have it any other way. I quit a job where I drove a brand new truck every other year pulling an asphalt tanker, now I drive for a small trucking company that has older trucks that have been rebuilt from the ground up and I love it, I've been with him for 7 years now and I just started driving for his son and driving his first truck, a 1998 peterbilt 379 pulling a flatbed curtain trailer on a dedicated steel haul making great money and home nearly every night and off every weekend. In my opinion older trucks are better because you have to DRIVE them.
Wow! You drove 20 years and still work for otherâs? Thatâs scary. I wish hard worker people work hard for money for few years then money start fork for them.
@@dont3222 have you ever done the math on a company driver versus an owner operator and the amount of stress and time away from home? Probably not. My whole family was owner operators, independent owners that never used brokers. All of them told me early on that it isn't about how much that truck makes, it how much you keep. The only difference between me and a owner operator is I don't have nearly the amount of stress, I have benefits and paid vacation time and still call my own shots. I go where I want when I want. I home every weekend and off most nights at home. I will retire when in 55 years, in 10 years, with a great retirement plan and no debt. Most owner operators never retire. They can't because they're always chasing that next dollar. Money is a tool that I use to survive and that's it. My time, stress free time, is far more important to me than any amount of money.
@@dont3222 I'm at home right now, on a Thursday, because I made enough Monday and Tuesday to last me all week. I'll be off today, tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday and go back to work Monday and work all week. I'm taking two weeks off in September to go see my son in Washington State, and the vacation is already paid for. Life is what you make of it.
Hi @brett235 do you have an instagram page?
Honestly, I won't get rid of 2000 t600 N14 525hp until it's mandatory to do So.. It's been 4 years and have never left me stranded.. Love this beast.
Those trucks are Damn near bullet proof
We had old international 9300 eagle with n14 525 18 speed it work better than lots of new truck that i know it full of lots of power
Thats why they quit making them reliable good motors
Keep it forever. Can rebuild for a fraction of a new truck
I had a 1999 T600 with Cummins N14 and a 132 inch sleeper. I loved that truck!! Finally traded that one in for my current truck: 2008 KW T660 with 150 inch sleeper. I'm not likely to get rid of my truck anytime soon!
The older pre emissions trucks are more dependable than the new trucks, 90% of the problems with the new trucks are the emissions system. That should have never been introduced into trucks until they knew what the hell they were doing
The emissions systems never will pass the science tests. The function of the systems are counter-intuitive. Some will do better than others, but unless a new fuel is developed there can't be the reliability that you need. Suppose they passed a law that only X amount of human waste can leave any residence? Filters and traps would be required to catch the poop. We can't re-engineer human food and biology, but perhaps a new trucking fuel can be developed. The current emissions systems attempt to cancel the nature of the diesel combustion process - good luck with that! It is not the fault of the designers of these systems. Its as if the EPA passes a law that demanded rivers must run upstream. Detroit Diesel seems to have a better handle on emissions than other manufacturers, their patents will expire and perhaps the others will adopt what DD uses.
Well said Timothy. Instead of regulating pollutants, perhaps there needs to be a re-evaluation of the supply chain, which covid has certainly made obvious.
@@timothykeith1367 yeah the filter will catch the particulates, but eventually it gets clogged and you have to regen to burn all the crap out.
I guess they think dumping all the pollutants out at once is better than slowly releasing it over time.
They know exactly what they are doing; making more money off of repairs đ
Seriously, they know how to make them reliable but they just don't
@@timothykeith1367 I was trucking when the engine manufactures got caught cheating on emissions, the Gov forced them to meet the 2007 emissions requirements by 2004. Forced all the manufacturers to rush the compliant engines into production, in 2004 I got a Pete with a C15 Bridge engine. I went from 7.5 mpg in my 2000, to 5 mpg on a good day, engine costs went up $10K with the new emissions crap (EGR or the highly successful and much loved twin turbo). We got better emissions, but had to burn more fuel, higher costs for the truck, higher maintenance, and that bridge engine needed a full rebuild at 600K. I know guys who had to do major work on them in the first year
Dude is full of wisdom , and knows what heâs talking about
My dad owned a small trucking company here in Ireland đźđȘ and I spent all my childhood with him in one of the trucks. Iâm 45 now and work for the government but I love looking at videos about trucks and talking about the old days with dad It brings me right back . Dad is 81 now and recently diagnosed with dementia so I donât know how long heâll remember his old life
Look into keto carnivore diet and get an iodine loading test for your dad
I love my 94 Peter. Never had let me down for the last 1 million miles knock on wood lol. I take better care of my Peter then myself. My dad got the Peter new and he pass her to me. My son wants to take over her. When its my time to pass the keys on, Oh she's over 8.7 million miles and on the same engine. with one rebuild in frame.
I'm keeping my old cabover,...thank you very much.
Dude you nailed it ..... Iâve been trucking for several years now and I can confidently say that youâre absolutely right for every word you said.... well done and keep it up with more videos đđđ
One of the most genuine truck advise I have ever heard. Be Blessed sir, you are one in a million
My first truck was a 1956 LJ Mack (hard nosed) wrecker with a 237hp 675 ENDT engine, a 5x4 quad box tranny and real 24" rubber. That truck is still running, although now it just goes to shows.
If you drive an old rig get you a shop manual for it useing the VIN best investment you'll make.
You got to do the work yourself but its a lot cheaper and worth it if you can bypass emmisions and elogs.
You make a lot more money and can take you your time and not be rushed.
Plus not having a $2300 monthly payment is nice as well đ
Iâm in this situation right now
Good tips! Well maintained old trucks never die,they just keep on truckinâ! Preventative maintenance is the same with everything,from lawnmowers to locomotives! Look after it and it will look after you!đđđŠđș
Got my Class One 1974. Agree with what you said in this Vid. Would not have a new truck - endless problems, expensive short lived machines. KW 8 bag system with a good seat is as comfortable as any. Insulate roof and floor, replace weatherstripping for no wind noise. New 2 DIN Android audio setup and you got all the new trucks have. Collision Avoidance ? Lane Departure ? Look out the window and DRIVE the truck !
Thanks for the wisdom!
Thanks for sharing!! Your knowledge and insight are impeccable!!!!!
Now this was a great video. Good info.
Solid sensible advice đŻ on point and from my experience is the same.
We have been trucking for 15 years and have always done our maintenance ourselves. Hearing these prices makes me realize how much weâve saved over the decade and a half.
Thanks for all the awesome content!
Great video keep doing it
excellent vid!
I agree with everything said here but I'd ad one thing. With an older truck you need to budget money for major repairs such as dif overhauls, tranny overhaul, new rad, etc.
I think this information is worth more than two cents. Thanks guy!
Thank you for this.
Great đđ» information!
Thank you for sharing your wisdom
Thank you đ
Great video man!!
Great information.
Good stuff! Lot's to think about.
Started driving at the ripe old age of 29.5 in March 1987 , bought a 1990 W9 in 1995 , still going strong , turned 2.6M , fixing to do second in frame .. Oil is cheep , I also change once a month religiously .. Truck still looks great ..
THANKS,THIS IS HELPFUL.
Very informative video, I appreciate you
Thanks man
Excellent advice đđđȘ
THANKS FOR THE KNOWLEDGE SHARED.... AWESOME INF...đđđ
Thanks for your wisdom. Moose bumper is something I need and once a month oil change is great. Thanks.
Thank you. Very good information đđđđđđ
Good unbiased comparison and proper advice based on facts in stead of baseless emotional feelings.
I did a lease before. I did the old truck lease. I was constantly in the shop fixing something. First week i had it i needed a new ac unit. 6 months into the lease and i had lost money and that truck still had a limited warranty that did once save me hundreds. But never will i do it again. Like said here you never know how it was treated. I baby my vehicles. Hell my personal Rav4 has 7k miles and its had about 6 oil changes...multiple tire rotations..checks and services etc. Next lease im going brand new so i know how its been treated and that if something does come up that its covered.
Id never go old again.
I brought my brand new 2022 Western Star 5700 82-in sleeper DD15 12 Speed automatic transmission
Owner operator đŠ
$155,000 she has a full 550,000 miles warranty
She had Only 48 miles on her
Love the truck
Keep doing what works for you. I just got a 2017 Freightliner with the same drivetrain and it's been great.
I was in a 1996 Peterbilt 379 with a DD 60 Series and a 10 speed stick for years and with 2.6 million on the frame it was just flat worn out.
Always love your videos â€
Thanks for watching!
Awesome video. Thank you for putting this out.
Great video! You are spot on about mileage. I have a 1996 Peterbilt 379EXHD with a redtop cummins at 525 horsepower. It gets 7.3 miles per gallon on my quarterly fuel reports. Every load at or near 80,000 lbs.
Even when the S60's were available in 379's none got anywhere near 7. certainly not a red head...feels like I'm at the counter at the orange ball.
@@445xone Stop the bull shit buddy..
I occasionally clear 7 with my Cat powerd 379.. never weighing less than 78,000 pounds crossing the continental devide twice every trip.
WOW A TRUE AND HONEST GUY GREAT VID. i DROVE BACK WHEN I WAS YOUNGER MY DADS 78 KENWORTH. Now 59
i want to go drive after being in the hvac industry for 40 years . need to start over with AZ but would be fun. Both my kids drive
1996 pete and 2015 .
Good info my friend
I have a old 94. It give me 7 miles per gallon. I do all the fixing i got it for $ 2000
And i put 35k to upgrade
i have put over 1 million miles still running
Good job!
great video
Most of your "pros" for newer trucks are really cons, if you really think about it. Lots of extra stuff to break, cost more money, and make you complacent.
Right!
The blindside monitoring could be added to older vehicles by using some sensors.
@@timothykeith1367 I never felt the need for blindside monitoring devices. I have my mirrors adjusted so frankly, I donât have any blind spots. I can see fully down both sides of my truck when the tractor and trailer are straight. When blind side backing (which I try to avoid unless Iâm forced to do it), I rely on my convex mirror and I use my passenger side mirror adjustment to see what my trailer is doing while backing into a spot. Road_Dog is correct, more stuff to break down and they absolutely make you complacent. There is no room for complacency in trucking, period.
Have you noticed that most of the trucks in the medians or rolled over are the new trucks with all of the safety crap on them? It's very rare to see an older truck in the ditch these days, unless a newer truck with a green driver decided he wanted his lane and pushed him off in the ditch.
@@Brett235 That's because Swift doesn't use older trucks, don't hate on new trucks when its complacent hiring practices that lead to these accident rates. Old trucks are less likely to crash because owner-operators are safer drivers while simultaneously more likely to use old trucks
When you talked about fuel economy as a 32 year old my 1997 Pete gets good mpg I have to baby this thing to make it happy but it looks awesome going down the road, I was working hazmat driving fancy new pieces of shit but made some money and bought my Pete for 11500 from a old boss of mine and it had little issues but nothing I couldnât fix myself.
Everything he s saying it s so true.
About the fuel mileage : my 06 Pete with cat c15 was getting the same mpg as my 14 volvo with d13. So if the truck is running properly then the mpg is up to the driver
Which is ......?
Doubt it. Acerts inherently just cannot have good mpg.
You can always put a new drivers seat in that older truck.
Looking to buy a truck soon. This helped me out as I was almost set on getting a brand new truck. I drive older personal cars so it was out of my style and like to get newer trucks so I'm happy that'll I'll go old school again. Thank you sir!
Definitely go a 389 or a w900
@@lilromi appreciate that. I'll be looking for those trucks. Hopefully they won't be hard to find
Well old trucks usually ride like shit and beat u up also shops have trouble diagnosing because they can't just have computers tell them what to fix
Sounds like my 579 Pete paccar I leased finally done with it. No more that headache. Saved enough now deciding which route to go. But these new truck was everything you mentioned.
Abs fault, wire harness non stop, transmission fault.
Best part def, dpf even if you did cleaned spot high level lol.
Warranty itâs great but still loosing money and hotel. Special from mega companies. Glad Iâm getting my end of lease like 20k back plus what I saved I can go old school now.
Sounds like a prime guy lmfao Iâm lease purchase man, crazy how these trucks brought us here.
@@mhuffer94 indeed, I got 31k back end of lease. Left otr. Doing local runs fuel. Will never lease or lease purchase from company again. I just needed short lease and my fm left that was it for me.
I drive a 1998 379 peterbilt parts are cheap and easy to find and is actually more comfortable than these new ones plus is more fuel efficient than some new trucks
I Just unplug the front sensor on the adaptive cruise.
That is perfect
Thank you for all that you do for us. God bless you all each one of God bless you all. Thanks again đđđđđđ
Drive a 379 and we did the first engine at 1.7 miles oil change at every 10k miles right now we setting at 2.1 and it still running like a champ
I have a 1994 pete, the biggest problem I have if they can't plug it in they can't fix it.
Definitely true...kind of pathetic not many master mechanics left...computer tells them what part to replace
CZcamsr Ol2Stroker recently bought a 1973 Peterbilt 352 Pacemaker big bunk cabover.The truck has a naturally aspirated 12V71 "Buzzin Dozen" two stroke Detroit Diesel engine.
I miss the old 2 stroke.
Awesome video guys. Thanks for putting this out here. đđ»
Very good
On point
Your Awesome mate
I absolutely love my 84 it was a wrecker in the beginning of its life so its 310wb then I have a 99 that is 290wb both are cat power. I made a mistake and ordered a 2015 389 Pete with a isx it was 300wb 4 axle truck with 3.55 rears. I might have went a year and the motor went. It was a known Cummins issue. After 60 days of fighting I finally got them to put a crate motor in it which took another 30 days. No one talks about lost revenue but let me tell you in those 90 days the payments don't stop nor does insurance. Most don't plan for that. Not to mention at the time the truck was generating 14k a week. In my experience the warranty is not worth the ink on the paper. Might well wipe your ass with it and flush it down the toilet.
I got a 2000 freightliner classic main issue with these trucks is certain parts are coming hard to come by, other than that Iâll do an Inframe on my truck for price of a def system on a new one lol, main thing for me is the price if I got a new one Iâd get 150k Coronado glider but then Iâd for sure have to stay on road, but I got my truck and paid off in 2/3 weeks and rest is profit and from here Iâll save up money and then I can afford not not stay on road if a major repair happens fix it then run hard to stack up. So much good info on this, solid video man.
Is it the Detroit parts or is it CAT also?
Had my inframe in 2008, did the rebuild, had to replace the head (cracked) and recore the rad, came to $32K. was high at the time but you have to expect that in trucking
The company I work for gave me a 2020 international LT has 206k miles currently. Have had a couple little bugs, but nothing major.
I canât see paying 175K for a truck when my 12K truck hauls the same freight. No 3K truck payment. No engine problems. Notice all the trucks on the shoulder broke down is newer trucks?
Awesome information! Thank you for providing this.
Maintenance on anything: if you do it often enough, you will catch problems(or even prevent) before you need said item most!
One problem with a dealership and a one truck operation is with only one truck you might not get into the shop ahead of a truck that comes from a mega carrier with 500 or more trucks.
I drove for a large company that had all new trucks with all the emissions stuff... I sat in a hotel waiting for the truck to be fixed more than I ran; I didn't really mind because their breakdown and per diem pay still netted me $600+ weekly paychecks as a company driver. Then I switched to a much smaller company with around 10 trucks that were all pre-emission regulations and only broke down once because the turbo went out.
I will eventually buy my own truck and operate under my own authority with my girlfriend being my dispatcher and I plan on buying a pre-emission truck so I don't have to worry about all the problems that come with it. Maybe a nice Kenworth W900.
I think you have the old 2-stroke Detroits confused with Series 60, in terms of the engine needing the higher (2000+) RPMs.................
2 stroke operating range is 1800 to governor. Series 60 is 1550-2150. If it only revs to 1760, get the ecm flashed unless you are running a 13/18 speed. Series 60s owner manuals state that the 1800 rpm engines are NOT warrantied with transmissions with greater than 20% drop between gears
@@scottyphillips8406 yes, I know that 2-strokes aren't happy unless they're screaming at 2000+ RPM. The Series 60 that I have driven a handful of times runs quite well in the lower RPMs (1200-1500); I only went above that when pulling a hill at low speed and grossing 100,000 pounds. Regardless, I actually think it has the rev limiter you referred to above.
Hey Ronen & Team,
Thank you very much and huge shout out to you guys for always producing high quality contents, I personally take away a great deal of knowledge from your videos. Please keep doing what your doing. I was wondering if you & your team can Please put together a detailed video on HOW TO GET US DOT NO, MC NO AND OTHER AUTHORITIES FOR A CANADIAN BASED COMPANY. There are quite a few videos on other CZcams channels by American fellows but as we know for us Canadians there are few extras steps to take when it comes to applying for US authorities & permits, so if you can Please shoot a video on step by step process that would be amazing and Iâm pretty sure your other subscribers will greatly benefit from it too. Thank you
Subscribed
Thank you Elijah!
Love my 2019 cascadia đ
I really appreciate this Info guys!!!!!!!!
I like the 9900i and 9300 eagle with n14 Cummins
If you buy a good 379, a W9, a Classic, or another premium truck and take care of it, you will have little depreciation. These trucks hold their value. A good seat, some LED lights, maybe some sound absorbing pads, and the older truck will ride as well, and your headlights will be just as good.
I'm planning to buy a used Pete next year. I'll probably buy from an individual, or from a company that I know takes care of the equipment. It should pay for itself in about two years. Once paid for you can afford to take some time off, turn down a load that you don't want, or personalize your truck if you want. An older truck can give you more freedom.
Respected sir, its was really nice interesting informatic video and I like it and its knowledgefull video. What is best truck in Canada country in 2021 with great road performance and saving money for truck drivers and truck owners ? What is good speed of truck on Canadian highway ?
Pretty accurate especially the oil change recommendation.
Fuel economy comments are false
I agree with you sir
I agree ! A model is dream truck . Think the technology was out to soon
I owned a 2006 freightliner Columbia with a Detroit 60 and when I sold it I had 1million 3 hun thos on the original engine and trans it had a break down b4 I bought it for a water pump and when I had it I lost my turbo intercooler and egr at 1million 277 thos
Detroit best motor to beat on and get the job done
Old school truck cons? for OO?...pre e log old school?....NONE...lol ... great vid brother thx
I work for a oilfield service company the trucks are beat to death, and are pretty much considered disposable, the important part is catching the next job.
Keep the emissions system clean and maintained is key
Like the guy said with the newer truck you're going to have newer technology I have a 1995 it has all the newest technology that I would want at least like the brightest lights in the world pia and a Harman kardon sound surround system of course
i drive a 2015 t680 without a def system i got that thing deleted and it runs so much better since i got it done
@йалŃŃĐžĐșĐž ĐżĐŸŃŃ Wait. How does a DPF or DEF delete melt an engine?
@@electric7487 it doesn't
@@veteransreview8227 Exactly. That guy has zero clue what he's talking about.
The thoughts are decent. Running both old and new trucks in the oil patch I took acception to his comments about this industry. Old trucks running high miles per month was my thoughts as well. Until the big bills start coming. With 4.5 million kms on my 06 and 1 million on a 16 I would put my maintenance program up against any HIGHWAY haulers. A good well looked after truck is hard to find.... but possible from any industry. Do your research and pay attention to the subtle indicators of abuse before you buy old
I would much rather have an old school truck hands down! They aren't as aerodynamic or comfortable but they are extremely tough
I was on I 40 just west of Albuquerque NM pulling a set of doubles with hazmat when a NM highway patrol decided to race across the highway to talk to his buddy and cut me off instead of waiting 2 seconds for the entire highway to be clear behind me.The truck hit the breaks as I had to swerve and the back trailer almost flipped!! If the road had been icy or wet poeple probably would have died,I hate those new systems
So question..?
What would be an ideal used truck with automatic transmission that is not older than 2013? Do we have video on this question? Thanks in advance..
How do you feel about a w900 that 2009 in frame cummings and every time it breaks down now the bill is around 3000.00 to me it is time to say good bye everything or almost everything is going back into the truck for repairs sensors wiring issues. Thank You
Very interesting videos. Thank you for taking the time to produce them.
I wish I could help you guys to grow this channel... but my public is all portuguese language đđ