First Truck .. Engine Help

[Murphy]

I've possibly read every single thread there is on this site about different trucks and have come to the conclusion that all newer model engines are plagued with ECU/EGR problems. But we must get a newer model truck. We've read the Owner Operator Manual, the EGR/DPF Article and seen most if not all the videos on the CM 871s, some CM 2250 & 2350. A little back story; I plan to team drive with my wife on a dedicated route, mainly southeast (Tennessee to Florida) pulling a dry van, mostly under 80k lbs. From what I deduced from my research, the most reliable trucks/engines would be Cascadia's DD13 (have heard a mix of horror stories, and people that "just got lucky" on DD15s) and Volvo's D13. Automatic is preferred (a happy wife a happy life). On the Cummins side, i have read and seen most videos put out by Rawze and i know that with a knowledgeable mechanic, these Cummins can be made into work horses.

I know to stay away from manufacturers 2012 and under models, as they are more common with EGR problems. Volvo pros; seem to be more reliable, very comfortable (might help with team driving), Ishift leagues ahead of DT12. Cons, about the only ones I can find are the known injector cups which to my knowledge have been fixed. And, more expensive parts and greater down-time. Cascadia pros; larger availability of service locations, cheaper parts, and some success stories where the truck has had no major breakdowns. Cons; Rougher ride (comfort), and the horror stories, that can really scare a young starting owner operator like myself. Cummins pros; with good maintenance and preventive care can turn out to be very reliable. A variety of different comfort levels with Peterbilt, KW ect. Cons; the known egr plague, fuel pump issue that can destroy the engine, and the horror stories.

My family has been in the business for over 10 years and we have established dedicated clients. I know the ins and outs of the trucking industry as I currently have experience with dispatch, loads and driving. I've ran the numbers and I can afford about a 60k truck. Any real world tips, recommendations, anybody that has had these engines and can point me in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate it. I've seen on these forums, that the members are a very tight knit community, and am happy to finally be a part of it. Thanks in Advanced, Safe Driving out there!

[Rawze]

you can say what you want to but dry-van/reefer ...

If I had to start from scratch all over again,.. knowing what I know now ... Even if I had $200,000 in the bank to burn and invest up front I would...

Find me a 2010 or 2011 Prostar or cascadia with a CM871 in it at a truck auction,.. go have it inframed the right way with all the recommendations that can be found on this forum for it... Chineese software/adapter to troubleshoot it with, kill the soot monster, bypass oil filtration, 0-pressure coonant system with regular ELC red, Tier-2 tri-pack APU, geared 3.55 or 3.57 -- super-10 or 13-speed HELL NOT THERE WOULD BE NO AUTOMATIC!!! I DON;T CARE WHAT THE WIFE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT -- SHE CAN LEAR TO GODDAMN SHIFT IT!!! ..and then spend several weeks to go through the truck head to toe and fix all the neglected crap from the last owner before even attempting to put it on the road ways.


THERE WOULD BE NO WAY IN HELLS CREATION I WOULD BUY ANYTHING NEWER WHATSOEVER!!! - And when asked WHY?, i would reply "I AM NOT STUPID ENOUGH TO JUST GIVE AWAY MONEY ON SOMETHING THAT IS LESS PROFITABLE OVER A MILLION MILE SPAN!"

Why?! -- Because I can turn a profit that I can keep + have everything I need to stay far away from all the incompetent stealershits and OEM rip-off shops out there because THERE ARE 2 PLACES YOU LOOSE ALL YOUR MONEY IN TRUCKING!@!!!!! #1 IS FUEL COST - and slowing down to 60 mph and managing time much better can fix that,.. and #2 -- TAKING THE TRUCK ANYWHERE TO GET IT FIXED - ESPECIALLY IF IT IS OEM !!!!!!! - If a person don't learn to slow the f#k down and to work on their own equipment, they will never have much of anything to show for their efforts long term.

85% of all O/O's fail miserably because of the fleet mentality, steering wheel holder, take it somewhere every time it brakes, gotta go 70+, dumb sh%t more miles = go faster = more money mentality that don't work when your paying for the fuel and repair costs, "not my job" attitude crap - All while complaining that every problem they ever had was someone else fault or that "crappy equipment" they abuse daily, wondering why they are miserable all the time and don't have anything to show for their efforts 500,000 miles later.

Just my own thoughts on it, No one has to agree.

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That out of the way,... I think worrying about how many repair facilities there are for a particular truck has some serious flaws. there is a reason there are more places that fix certain brands of trucks... BECAUSE THEY BREAK DOWN MORE AND THERE IS MORE PROFIT IN IT FOR THEM!!!!!. How about instead, start looking at trucks that first and foremost, fit your needs for best long term profitability, and second, something you can learn to maintain yourself as much as possible. otherwise, you will be hemorrhaging money non-stop in between every load you haul.

[Mikiisx09]

I'm with you in this Rawze..I have 2 Trucks with CM 871,one has 1.2K miles( Volvo 2009) and 2011 Prostar with 600K miles. Just 2 weeks ago I bought 2018 Kenworh T 680 with X 15 Cummins for one of the Drivers.I did couple trips with new Truck but still nothing drives,pulls and handling like my RED BEAST with 1.2 million miles.All maintenance on Trucks I'm doing my self with help of my buddy Dr.Isx. Hi is member of Rawze.com as well.In my 12 years of trucking I tried couple of Detroit engines as well..they not bad at all but still Cummins is number 1on my list.