+2014 Volvo

[Rawze]

(06-14-2018 )Otterinthewater Wrote:  Without getting into the +/- of other brands, what are your thoughts on the ISX powered Volvo’s 2014 or newer. I fell in love with the iShift, but I’m planning on buying a truck to run regionally here in California. I might be a bit ahead of myself since I’m only enrolled in CDL school. I like to plan things out in advance and I hadn’t even consider the Cummins. This site has opened my eyes. So ISX powered Volvo with a 13speed? Any additional issues? I’m mechanically competent with Diesel’s and electronics. I pretty much fix or build everything myself. I like it that way so I’m the only idiot I get to be mad at when it goes wrong!

If your serious about learning stuff the right way then I would suggest you stop listening to all the bulls$it spewed out of the mouths of the masses of idiots out there, especially on public social media. If your goal is to eventually own your own equipment then I would suggest you stop looking at trucks you would buy and focus on the rung of the ladder you are currently at --- like getting through truck school and getting at least a year of experience driving someone else's equipment FIRST!.


OWNING TRUCKING EQUIPMENT FOR PROFIT IS OWNING A BUSINESS!! -- OWNING A BUSINESS entails among other things, identifying and minimizing losses so that you can maximizing profit margin.

Minimizing losses entails IDENTIFYING YOUR BIGGEST OPERATING COSTS AND MANAGING THEM WELL!.

Maximizing profits entails IDENTIFYING HOW MUCH RISK OF FAILURE BASED ON CURRENT EXPERIENCE YOU ARE WILLING TO TAKE VS. PROFITABILITY.

Anything you do in between these 2 extremes YOU DO AT YOUR OWN PERIL AND LOSS! - i.e. buying equipment because you like it more-so than how profitable it actually is going to be for your application.

I.E.> You don't go out and buy an expensive pair of hand scissors if you intend on starting a grass cutting business. You buy a commercial riding lawn mower with a wide deck to improve production (cut more lawns a day = more money in your pocket). Next is WHAT kind of commercial mower?... The one that is harder to work on that you have to take to the dealer every time it breaks, or easy to work on so you can keep in going with less down time when there are troubles? The one that sucks more fuel or less?, The one that eats up expensive specialized blades or has blades that are cheap and easily replaceable?...

Come to think of it, trucking is a lot like a grass cutting business. There are so many competitors that it is impossible to make a decent profit because everyone else wants that same customer, equipment is designed any more to break more than make reliable production, everyone is out to stiff you because they can always find excuses not to pay, and the local home owners association in your area is trying to control every move you make and limit you unless you pay for special lawn cutting licenses, fees, special permits, taxes, etc.etc.

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Here are my own thoughts on Volvo, no one has to agree ...
http://rawze.com/forums/showthread.php?t...6#pid24156

and...
http://rawze.com/forums/showthread.php?t...88#pid2688