Used TMC truck

[Z7Mike]

Hello everyone, I am considering purchasing a used TMC truck. It is a 2015 Peterbilt 579 with an ISX CM2350. It has 3.42 rears with a 9 convertible to 13. It will have approx 550,000 miles. I know their maintenance program is fairly decent, considering it’s a mega fleet. Does anyone have any experience with a used TMC truck? Good, bad and ugly? Also, does anyone know of a trust worthy shop/mechanic near Columbia, SC that I may be able to take it too for another set of eyes before I make the ultimate sacrifice? Thanks.

[Lonestar10]

It's going to be like buying a truck from any other carrier the only difference is TMC you're pretty much guaranteed to get a truck that looks great on the outside they aren't going to do anything different for maintenance than any other mega fleet except that it gets washed more and they tend to spec the interior more towards an owner operator than a company driver from what I've seen of their videos of their trucks on YouTube

[Z7Mike]

I drove for them for a couple years, so I know they would not allow a truck to go 30,000 miles without it being serviced at a stealership. So, as far as maintenance, it’s not the greatest, but I am confident they are better than most fleets. I also know they are very anal when it comes to their equipment, if something doesn’t work or becomes worn it is repaired right away. My concerns are more about what I can’t see, like has the motor ever over heated, has the motor ever lost oil pressure, is egr cooler leaking, etc. I guess the only way I can find this out is with an ECM history download?? Can Petro/TA shop pull a history? I would much rather find a smaller mom/pop shop that could do that for me near Columbia, SC. I know buying a used truck is always a gamble, I’m just trying to swing the odds a little more to my favor. Lol. After purchase I plan on taking truck straight to Mr. Hagg for him to look it over and fix anything he may find and to do egr tune up, etc, before putting truck on the road.

[Lonestar10]

if mom pop shop knows how to use insite beyond checking/clearing codes then they should be able to the history.

[Rawze]

First of all, I would not own a truck with 3:42 rears unless i was hauling stuff inder 15,000 lbs for the next million miles... that is not a very good gear ratio to have if you plan on making it pull 80,000 lbs. -- All it does is shorten the life out of the engine and kill fuel economy.


at 550,000 miles on a factory 2350, it geared that tall, likely some moron with his foot in the floor all the way against the governor that entire 550,000 miles.... its 75% at the end of its rope. Most 2350's get inframed by the time they have 600 - 650k on them, especially if someone was driving it below 1400 most of its life .. so you should be prepared for the negative after-effects of that torture it likely endured right it up front.

At 550,000 miles the fuel pump guts are also over-due to be replaced,.. you skip doing that and you can kiss that engine goodbye without warning very soon it its future.

Only way your going to know if that engine is any good is to pull the valve cover and inspect the overhead cams + see how sooted up the engine is.

and whatever used thing you buy...

Rawze Wrote:Check the overhead cams. check the engine and suspension and truck out,.. ignore the paint job or the clean interior as it is only done for the idiots to gawk at.

Plan on doing some serious work to it before putting it onto the roads like de-mandating it or having the entire EGR system and all the sensors and egr valve replaced. That you can count on for sure.

Plan on doing 3 oil changes at 5,000 mile intervals to break loose and get rid of the neglected miles worth of soot buildup in it because the first owner only changed the oil every 25,000 miles (or more). That is not nearly often enough to keeping soot form building up in the engine and eating at everything, eventually destroying overhead cams ans carbon-packing all the piston rings.

The list only gets longer form here. -- Anything less and you are only lying to yourself.

ref: http://rawze.com/forums/showthread.php?t...9#pid15359

here is roughly what your going to want to do to it once you get something with that many miles on it... Things like what is discussed in this post: http://rawze.com/forums/showthread.php?t...6#pid15466

and here is a good read...
http://rawze.com/forums/showthread.php?t...1#pid23991

Your going to also want to do several tests like injector /rail leak tests, et. and do a lot of things like replacing sensors, adjusting the valves, and a long list of other things befiore putting it on the roads.

I could probably find a bunch more on a search.

I.E.> Buying a used truck is not a fun-and games kind of thing where you live in this bubble of ignorance thinking that whatever you get is going to be something decent,.. expect just the opposite, because that is what most people end up with, even though they all have somehow convinced themselves that they will be the lucky one. -- Be prepared for your business adventures, plan for things properly, and plan on spending some serious cas$$ to get the thing into decent shape before putting it on the roads ways, and you will not be that next victim on the side of the roads crying about your emissions systems and the lemon of a truck you just got, asking where you can get it towed to.

(I think the beer is talking) lol.

[david24]

(07-25-2019 )Rawze Wrote:  First of all, I would not own a truck with 3:42 rears unless i was hauling stuff inder
...
(I think the beer is talking) lol.

Sounds like you are talking to me again Rawze. Lol

[Rawze]

(07-25-2019 )david24 Wrote:  

(07-25-2019 )Rawze Wrote:  First of all, I would not own a truck with 3:42 rears unless i was hauling stuff inder
...
(I think the beer is talking) lol.

Sounds like you are talking to me again Rawze. Lol

just think if you would have known all this stuff before buying something used... just think of what I would do with a truck if i were to purchase one before I put it on the roads... that is what everyone needs to do, otherwise they are only fooling themselves, maybe just are hell bent on running their trucking business blindly all the time.

Those people who do these things to their trucks and spend some serious time getting them right,.. are always successful. Those who don't, most of the time, do nothing but mostly complain, struggle to get by, and wish they had.

Just because that used house you just purchased has a really nice mowed lawn, and a newly painted fence,.. does not mean it is not full of termites and the pipes aren't leaky. --used trucks are the same way.

[Z7Mike]

Thanks Rawze, its a lot to take in. I have been very hesitant to buy a vehicle with emissions, which is why I have my 01 series 60 still pulling freight with 1.7 million miles. Lol. I am not afraid to turn a wrench, at all, but I have never dealt with the emissions. I have been doing a lot of research and your videos and this forum has taught me enough to ease my apprehension (could be the beer talking, lol) some..
What gear would you recommend for a flatbedder, grossing 80k(always), running east coast mountain ranges of I-77 and I-79 from SC to NY and back? I very rarely see flat ground.

[Mattman]

3.36, 3.42 are about the lowest gears I have seen for the most part. Seen several 3.08 trucks. The automated trucks have 2 something gears in lots of them.

I have been looking for awhile, I am picky. Been looking at Paccar and Freightliner trucks.