Cummins X15, what's the word?

[Rawze]

(01-12-2021 )Mav Wrote:  Thank you for the response. Yes I meant all that stuff. I am 63 now and I am only driving part time. The less I have to work on it the better. If I buy a epa truck I will leave it that way. I have always liked cummins but if all things are equal I will consider a DD15. I have been with landstar on an off since 1/2002 and this will be the first time I am hiring a driver. I guess I am just apprehensive.

The 10,000 foot expected viewpoint with regards to hired drivers ... IF you can find a decent, trustworthy driver (decent drivers are hard to come by for most O/O's that look for hired drivers ) ...

For a hired driver, for the miles that driver turns on the truck, you can estimate that roughly about 15%, (maybe 20% tops if all goes really well ) of the net revenue that is made on those miles to be yours when looking into the long term. This is the reality of it ... just keep that in mind. This is NET.. not gross .. and this is only on the miles they turn, not you if your driving the truck too.

I don't say all this stuff to discourage others in their endeavours ... I say it so that ppl are aware of these realities and can plan for overcoming them, putting them into their business plan as things to manage and overcome in whatever creative ways they can think of... otherwise if it is ignored, these things can sneak up on you and drain everything away into that death-spiral that consumes 85% of all O/O's so quickly.

[Mav]

I park in Ohio and fly home to west palm beach. The truck sits a lot, December 1st some 4 wheeler decided to do a 360 on interstate 271 and knocked me in a jack knife. Now I am in need of a truck and will have a truck payment. So I either go back full time or hire a driver. They will have to be landstar qualified. I hope to find someone who can dispatch themselves. I have driven for landstar contractors a couple of times. Nobodys getting rich but the truck gets paid off. I just don't want to end up with a shop magnet. I could always buy an older truck as I now have a great N14 and 13 speed sitting in my park location. Oh well thanks for the advice. I will probably stick with cummins just out of habit.

[Rawze]

(01-12-2021 )Mav Wrote:  I park in Ohio and fly home to west palm beach. The truck sits a lot, December 1st some 4 wheeler decided to do a 360 on interstate 271 and knocked me in a jack knife. Now I am in need of a truck and will have a truck payment. So I either go back full time or hire a driver. They will have to be landstar qualified. I hope to find someone who can dispatch themselves. I have driven for landstar contractors a couple of times. Nobodys getting rich but the truck gets paid off. I just don't want to end up with a shop magnet. I could always buy an older truck as I now have a great N14 and 13 speed sitting in my park location. Oh well thanks for the advice. I will probably stick with cummins just out of habit.

Why not just go work for someone for a while and the go buy a truck w a CM871 engine in it at a richie-bros. auction in need of some servicing on the cheap ($20k max). Lot of sucess stories in this site by people who have done just that. That is what I would likely do. Ppl can have those new truck payments... not worth it if ya ask me.

[Mav]

I don't work enough to be employed, I park the truck in Ohio and I live in florida so the truck sits a lot. I haven't pulled a load since November. No one would hire me. I just got the insurance company to settle today. I am looking at epa and non epa trucks but it will be hard to get some one to drive an old school truck. I appreciate the input

[marek4792]

N14 engines are nice, But they are plaged with injector issues and even their replacements being bad out of the box. If you truly want an older truck, get one with a Detroit 60 series, or an early pre egr ISX. May cost more upfront to fix it up also fuel effeincy and newer emission trucks really don't like sitting too much based on how much you work. Could be cheaper in the long run, Granted if you buy an old rust bucket you'll be replacing parts every trip.. kind of a flip of a coin.

[Running rough]

having one on the farm x15 that is with my demandate, demandated with 565 1850 its pretty peppy on the preformance aspect on trains, i try and use safe timing so engine life is not reduced, it defintley has the torque down low but i dont run it there for very long, i try and keep rpms 1500 and up when pullin hard, our cm2250s have also been flawless with @m*m^2 demandate, but i made sure fuel pumps were updated, going back to x15 performance tuning, first timing on demandate was slightly to delayed or retarded, this is where you notice performance and fuel economy is not quite where it should be, with some playing you try and find the bleeding edge of fuel economy and engine longevity, leaning towards lovgevity

[Mav]

(01-13-2021 )marek4792 Wrote:  N14 engines are nice, But they are plaged with injector issues and even their replacements being bad out of the box. If you truly want an older truck, get one with a Detroit 60 series, or an early pre egr ISX. May cost more upfront to fix it up also fuel effeincy and newer emission trucks really don't like sitting too much based on how much you work. Could be cheaper in the long run, Granted if you buy an old rust bucket you'll be replacing parts every trip.. kind of a flip of a coin.

I have owned N14s and one I put 1millions on and it was running great when I sold it. The one I own now has 1.7 million one it it was inframed at 1.3 million miles still runs great. The worst experience as an O/O was a columbia with a 60 series 14 liter but a lot of people love them. I had an isx is was good but if I buy an older truck why should I have an elog. So the N14 is probably the only old motor I am looking at. I was hoping that cummins got rid of all the emission problems with the X15.

[Mav]

(01-13-2021 )Running rough Wrote:  having one on the farm x15 that is with my demandate, demandated with 565 1850 its pretty peppy on the preformance aspect on trains, i try and use safe timing so engine life is not reduced, it defintley has the torque down low but i dont run it there for very long, i try and keep rpms 1500 and up when pullin hard, our cm2250s have also been flawless with @m*m^2 demandate, but i made sure fuel pumps were updated, going back to x15 performance tuning, first timing on demandate was slightly to delayed or retarded, this is where you notice performance and fuel economy is not quite where it should be, with some playing you try and find the bleeding edge of fuel economy and engine longevity, leaning towards lovgevity

I am hoping if I buy a epa truck I won't need to change anything but I am now believing all the problems are still there. I am still looking and thinking lol. Might just fix up the 98 century. The insurance company just paid out so I've got to get going or Landstar will can me for being off so long.

[smorgan87]

So after a few years of these x15's whats the word?