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JimT

Man, this is a perfect example of why these newer engines have so many problems and such a short service life. Inexperienced drivers who are NOT being taught how to operate the vehicle combined with horrible specs and virtually no maintenance.

I feel bad for this driver. He obviously knows that what he's doing isn't right but the truck setup won't allow him to drive it any better. My opinion/suggestion mirror's Rawze, get your initial year of driving in then find a better, SMALLER company that has a greater focus on their drivers and equipment.

DON'T LEASE-PURCHASE WITH A BIG COMPANY! They control the equipment AND you and will NOT put you in a position to succeed. No matter what smoke they blow up your a$$. The easier they make it to become a "lease operator" the more likely that you will go bankrupt within the first year. You know that turd you're driving right now? Yeah, that's the same piece of fine equipment that the company will offer as a lease-purchase, all used and abused from bad specs and inexperienced operators.

Unfortunately most used trucks are just as bad as the ones being leased out. The used truck dealers try to sell you on that nice looking low mileage tractor painted in mega-fleet color with bare bones switches, gauges and options. What they hope you don't realize is that the low mileage trucks have been sold because they require (or will soon require) a lot of expensive work. If the truck was profitable then it wouldn't have been sold early. The trucks closer to 500k mi with low engine hours are usually better cared for than the lower mileage (and higher priced) offerings. Both will require a good amount of money to fix it up, but the that was better maintained will offer a much longer life and a better return on investment.

IF you were dead set on leasing a new(er) truck then your best option would be to go through a 3rd party (not a motor carrier) that only leases vehicles (like Lone Mountain, just an example, NOT an endorsement). You have a much better chance of maintaining that truck over the long term.

Noone wants to give you a number as to what kind of cash you need to start a successful O/O business. Well, from my experience and from what I've seen on here, I'm confident in suggesting you have about $25,000 in money set aside to spend on a used truck AFTER the purchase. Some will be needed to just get on the road, the rest will probably be needed within the first year as you are not familiar with the truck and breakdowns will occur. A good inframe will run you around $20,000. Engine replacement can run around $35,000. Aftertreatment system repairs can EASILY run $5,000-$15,000 and usually can't be put off.

As for driving habits, I think they were mentioned already and are pretty well detailed in Rawze's Book (follow the "My Book" link above). Basiclly, try to keep the engine operating above 1400rpm. The higher the load on the engine the higher the rpm should be. If you have a boost gauge then try to keep the boost psi as low as possible. Your first goal is to stay at or under 20psi when pulling a hill, down shift until you can maintain your speed and still keep the boost low. It takes a lot of practice and testing to figure out what to do. As for the shifting itself, smooth in, smooth out. With the engine rpm limited to 1500 you will have a hard time getting out of gear if gravity/momentum pushes you faster. With the way your truck is set up, if you can't maintain speed at 1400rpm or above then back off the throttle as it drops rpm until you get down around 1000-1200rpm. 1250rpm and less you can really feel the engine doesn't like it under high loads (typically boost pressure about about 10psi). Generally speaking with the gearing in your truck you'll see about 500rpm between gears. If the trans won't come out of gear on it's own then gently push in the clutch to take it out of gear. IF THE TRANSMISSION IS MAKING NOISES WHILE OUT OF GEAR, just sitting in neutral, then something is wrong with it or the clutch. If it's making noises BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU ARE TRYING TO DO, THEN FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND CHANGE IT.

You sound like you are legitimately trying to learn. Myself and others will help you when we can. In your situation there's not much you can do about the rpm range you drive in because it's out of your control, however you can learn the right techniques and apply it to any rpm range. Start small, try different things, see what happens. Read "My Book" and try to ask specific questions to get more detailed answers. If you truly want to own your own truck one day then the most important thing you need to do RIGHT NOW is start saving money. When you own a truck you own a business and a business NEEDS money to operate. Credit works in an emergency, but it shouldn't be your first source. Save up about $25,000 for operating expenses plus about 20-30% of the purchase price for a down payment on a used truck. (even if you have great credit and can get a loan at 15% down you are in a much better place if you can put down more).

Learn to drive safely. I don't know you're driving habits, but most people have bad habits until they actively change them. If you company teaches something like the Smith System then practise the advice. It may seem extreme, but after years on the road you will learn to love the benefits, such as reduced stress and less abuse to the equipment, in addition to a much lower chance of causing an accident. You can't control what people around you do, but you can watch and anticipate their actions. When it comes to speed, 58-62 mph is probably the best for fuel and safety. You have more time to react to things around you and you're fuel mileage will be much better. On paper the difference between 62mph and 65mph is 3 mph or about 3 minutes of driving at highway speed. Once you add stop signs, stop lights, fuel stops, traffic then you'll find that the speed you travel on the highway has little impact on your overall travel time. 3mph over 10 hours is, on paper, 30 miles or about 1/2 hour. if you plan your day as 12 hours on duty, 10 hours driving (max) with a maximum travel speed around 60-62mph then you will find you not only meet your ETA's, regardless of minor delays, but you are less tired at the end of each day.

Now I'm just rambling so for now I'll end it here.