1st time truck purchase

[dilusidrisib]

Hello everyone. Im fairly new to truckin but i like what iam doin and im not planning to be a slave to one of those mega companies. However i will do my time to get my experience but then i would like to proceed and purchase my own truck. Iam on the flatbed side and enjoy it. Im independent and a fast learner. I have read Rawze book just to get some insight and to be aware of the basic responsibilities and expectancies. Well im lookin for some advice from those who do have experience in this field regarding what truck would be suitable. Just to get some basic ideas ahead of time. I wanted to stick with flatbed general freight and would be looking to operate everything within from mid-west to the east side. I prefer to work on my own vehicles so i thought it would be smarter to look for something older having less electronics. Everything i have come up with is based SOLEY on what i have HEARD or been TOLD. So yea here we go. I thought about a detroit 60 12.7 L since from what i HEARD they SUPPOSEDLY get a decent fuel milage and SUPPOSEDLY are reliable. I have HEARD freighliner century are reliable in particular the 2007 and since they somewhat aero the fuel milage was said to be decent. I also thought about pre emission (i been told this would be a great to have) like a old fld classic xl or 379 i know they are not very aerodynamic nor the best on fuel but i figure maybe the fuel milage would not be tooooo bad with a 12.7L engine since i usually easy on the throttle and do not drive faster than a 58mph. Well what yall have to say. All objective input is appreciated. If my ideas suck just say it the way it is im not gettin my feelings hurt

[Rawze]

don't shoot yourself in the big toe before the race. your post shouts loudly in between the lines, the same typical ignorance in our trucking industry and what is wrong with mis-guided social-media banter.

an old '07 Columbia w S60 and decent set of rears (3.70's and not those stupid tall geared garbage being sold these days) is not a bad choice, though there are more efficient and more modern things out there. You won't like the fact that the S60 was lazy on its bottom end, but they were certainly money-makers if they weren't turned up in HP, left stock, and well cared for.

The other trucks you mentioned -- well... just don't go there ... just don't! (the shooting yourself in the big toe scenario).


As someone who has been in this game a while, I can tell you what i would do if i started form nothing again...

I would get a prostar or cascadia with a CM871 ISX (2007 - 2011 cummins engines with only DPF and not that DEF fluid crap). - There has been nothing in the past, and nothing since that has been able to touch them in efficiency and long term profitability to date, but only if a person is willing to mold that engine into this state. Some say they are the last of the true built-for-million-miles engines out there.

It would have to have good rears in it,.. 3.55's is tallest I would accept,.. or better yet 3.79's or even 3.90's.

Sleeper would have to match the height of the average trailer.load height for best efficiency.

Then spend about $6000 or so getting the thing road worthy again, as you can be assured that nothing you buy from anyone is going to be ready to stick a trailer on it without some serious work to it first.

but that is just me.

[dilusidrisib]

appreciate the info. Im goin to look into this

[smorgan87]

The 2 freightshaker options with s60 wouldnt be too terrible of a purchase as they can be purchased cheap but the fld is not an aero truck and u can expect a loss in mpg and the 379 while nice to look at is overpriced. Like rawze said u can get newer trucks with newer engines for decent prices (and banks will look at newer truck where many will give u a flat no on old stuff). For example an 11' 871 powered prostar. They are cheap due to navistars pos engine that gave them a bad name. Spacious trucks both cab and sleeper, aerodynamic and parts are reasonably priced. The electronic gremlins can be worked out and worked around. The 871 engine after a visit to one of rawze's selected shops is a solid long lasting workhorse that can get great fuel mileage if u drive right (in other words dont turn it up to 600 and try to kill it). Rear ends. 3.55-3.73 for 80k lbs loads. I have one with a 3.36 and had to put a 13 speed in it just to make it drivable with the heavy crap i haul. My newer truck has a 3.36 with a 10 speed and is absolutely miserable to drive and is torture on the engine because of the 500 rpm gap between gears. (This 10 will also be swapped when i have the $). Id look around at the '10-'11 year models of either prostar or cascadias with an 871 under the hood. These commonnrails with their fuel pumps may put me in bankruptcy court. Petes are prty but overpriced and dont make ya any more $

[Waterloo]

ProStar with the CM-871. You may have to in frame it, but if done properly, like Rawze said, hard to beat. And that is another good reason to look at the ProStar with CM-871, they are cheap, especially if you can find one that already has a bad head gasket in need of an in frame. You could probably bag one of those for around $10,000 to $15,000, or less. Take it to Mr Hagg and let him work his magic.

Also, parts are readily available, International dealer on every corner. Used parts are plentiful too... If running a flat bed, look for a mid roof, that is what I have, and when pulling flat bed with a tail wind, 9 mpg was easily obtained. That was with a Rawze tuned motor before my first in frame. Well, maybe not 9 mpg, but well into the 8 range, on paper. Honestly blew me away. Once the bugs are worked out, they are a pretty good truck.

[dilusidrisib]

Thank You