Buying older ISX truck for cash vs "fleet maintained" newer ISX

[Sledge]

(04-01-2017 )Magard Wrote:  I like your thinking. Don't be swooned buy fleet maintenance. There's a reason fleets get rid of their trucks with low miles. Odds are a truck with more miles might already have had a inframe. Not to say it's going to live like it should but maybe make some money with it and then inframe it. Don't get into debt. I've learned the hard way. Work for yourself not the banker. If you really check the engine out good you might find that older sleeper that's had major work done but no paper trail to back it up. Don't trust a dealer blow by test. Especially if it's super good. It wasn't done right. It's a gamble but at least it's your money and not someone else's. Hard to screw up to bad if you own it.

Good advice, and I think we're on the same page.
But I also think Rawze is right;
if I spend all my cash on the truck to own it outright, and have nothing for repairs left over, especially if its a cheaper truck, I could be setting myself up for a pretty big failure.
That said, I don't regret having saved up the cash, and I don't like debt either.... even if I have the cash set aside so that I know I'll be able to make the payment. But this might be one of the few times that interest payments are actually as smart thing to do.

As for fleet maintained, they should be called fleet neglected. Especially when it comes to oil changes. Independent new truck buyers have to meet the oil change criteria or void their warranty. Big Fleets negotiate to extend the oil change intervals while still be given full warranty.