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OTR O/Os - trucks?

Tiha said:
LTL is less than truckload meaning, not full.
Dry freight, like shagging trailers for Fed ex or something are usually only half full.

Where as a heavy haul or liquid bulk, dry bulk, your truck weight will reduce payload.

We have facilities that won't load less than 45,000 pounds. So if you came in with your decked out, heavy haul tractor there is not a trailer made that is light enough to load 45,000 pounds on.
Also have customers that specify exactly how much product they must have. So need to be flexible.

Like the other guys said, just gotta find your niche.

Maybe you won't have any trouble but if we had guys that only wanted to run when ever they wanted we would not use them again. It is trade off, do some crappy stuff to get the good stuff. It all works out in the end.
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It’s a wide range

I know guys that will haul loads at $1.64 a mile and I know guys that get $8 or 9 dollars a mile

I was getting $1.25 a mile —- in 1995— after the company I had my rig leased to took their 24% off the top.

ET Transport currently pays their lease owners $1.64 and they no problem finding them at that price .

it’s nuts .

I know a company that gets $8 or $9 dollars a mile for oversize heavy haul and they don’t even bother finding backhauls, they just drive 600 miles back home empty, because they have another load lined up from home at $9
 
So a guy at my yard is selling a 2012 Pete 388, its got a 271" WB, smaller sleeper, 450hp engine bumped to 500hp, 700k miles but 50k on new motor, 3.90 diffs, 10sp, for 50k. Clean truck, has a wet kit, guy kept it spotless.

I know 2012s are not the best years, and I am unsure of where the rebuild was done, but the price seems attractive enough for me to play with the idea. I know its not the optimal, but its got a sleeper, cummins, and is fairly cheap

Should I try and get more info - lockers, rebuild, etc?
 
the truck..
 

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Lot of miles. Not a lot of gears for running the hills.

Hard to say with new motor, that can mean anything, but usually it DOESN'T mean new injectors or turbo or after treatment stuff. AC compressor, alternator, fan clutch.
How old is the clutch?
As long as the oil has been changed in the trans and rear ends from time to time they have a lot of life left in them.

Being a pete, are the front spring pin bushings worn out? So it clunks every time you make a turn? Not really dangerous but feels funny and will scare the crap out of you when you forget they are shot. LOL

I am sure he took care of the outside but look underneath for the real story.

Do all the brake shoes match? Style and thickness? What about brake chambers? are all 4 the same or one or two different? Basically those things will tell you that he was fixing it for long term dependability vs just getting by until the next repair is needed.
 
Truck is clean all around, spotless underneath. rebuild was block pistons crank, he overheated it pulling 100k up the hill at 70. 1600tq. no diff locks. original injectors clutch turbo. clutch 2 years old.
 
Tiha said:
Do all the brake shoes match? Style and thickness? What about brake chambers? are all 4 the same or one or two different? Basically those things will tell you that he was fixing it for long term dependability vs just getting by until the next repair is needed.
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This is some of the dumbest shit I've read yet in this thread.

You don't replace every set of brakes because you popped an axle seal and contaminated one set of shoes.

One piggyback rusts out, rest are good, but lets replace em all so they match?:shaking:

Maybe you can afford that kind of needless downtime with a fleet of 500+ trucks, but for a small outfit, you fix what's broken, make it safe and legal for the road and put it back to work.


As for the truck;

Wet kit is great, IF you have work for it. Otherwise it's dead weight and more parts to fail.

10spd? Great for city work, body jobs, single axle garbage. IMO they have no place on the highway, but that's a personal preference.

271" WB? Fuck that, especially given it's got a smaller sleeper. That extra 2' is going be real fun the first time you get sent into some tight shithole yard, or have to blindside in off a single lane street packed with cars. Keep it short, keep it as manoeuvrable as possible.

Little light in the torque department, but if you're only planning on 5 axle work, it'll be fine.

No lockers, that'd be a deal breaker for me. At the very least I'd want one and a power divider/interlock


I'd pass on it.
 
Fuck a DPF truck. Go pre emissions (but you cant because CA is for faggots) or DEF.
 
Beast said:
This is some of the dumbest shit I've read yet in this thread.

You don't replace every set of brakes because you popped an axle seal and contaminated one set of shoes.

One piggyback rusts out, rest are good, but lets replace em all so they match?:shaking:

Maybe you can afford that kind of needless downtime with a fleet of 500+ trucks, but for a small outfit, you fix what's broken, make it safe and legal for the road and put it back to work.
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You'd be surprised at how many shops want to replace shoes because of a bad wheel seal. TMC recommends it. College kids are trained on it.
DOT says you have to have the same brakes shoes across the axle.
So according to DOT if the shop replaces one side and it does not match the other, then they both need replaced.
I venture to say half the trucks on the road do not. But then even the DOT doesn't seem to enforce it currently, but that might be their thing after training next month or the month after that.

We don't change them, we hose them off and re use after a seal leak. Haven't seen any adverse affects.

Brakes wear unevenly for lots of reasons. So has the problem been addressed and repaired or ignored?
S-cam bushings are shot, This usually appears with either brakes out of adjustment, or the lower shoe has worn more than the top shoe.
Truck at the end of life, throw cheap shoes on and forget it.
Proper repair is replace S-cam bushings because not only does it affect brake wear, but slack adjusters will not adjust with worn out s-cam bushings.
An out of adjustment violation is automatically 2 violations. One for brake adjustment and one for slack adjusters failing to maintain brake adjustment.

Brake chambers, when a spring breaks it will eventually pop a hole in the diaphragm, which leads to failure to build enough air to release brakes. When one goes the others are close behind.

Similar problem with Brake chambers, if the guy that changed one doesn't know the difference between long and short stroke then the DOT says, yep there is another violation. Have to have same chambers across the axle.

Needless downtime is not replacing all brake chambers and trying to get one replaced along side the road because drivers are too stupid to learn how to cage a chamber.
In shop you can replace all 4 chambers, parts and labor less than $500 done in 2 hours. One service call for one chamber, well I have one right here, last one was $1,100 took 6 hours from break to on the road again.

At least those scenarios have proven themselves over and over for a lot of years here.
 
I caged our trailer because i havent had a chance to run trailer air lines yet. I should build a little stand for a brake chamber and teach newbies how to cage them.
 
Beast said:
This is some of the dumbest shit I've read yet in this thread.

You don't replace every set of brakes because you popped an axle seal and contaminated one set of shoes.

One piggyback rusts out, rest are good, but lets replace em all so they match?:shaking:

Maybe you can afford that kind of needless downtime with a fleet of 500+ trucks, but for a small outfit, you fix what's broken, make it safe and legal for the road and put it back to work.


As for the truck;

Wet kit is great, IF you have work for it. Otherwise it's dead weight and more parts to fail.

10spd? Great for city work, body jobs, single axle garbage. IMO they have no place on the highway, but that's a personal preference.

271" WB? Fuck that, especially given it's got a smaller sleeper. That extra 2' is going be real fun the first time you get sent into some tight shithole yard, or have to blindside in off a single lane street packed with cars. Keep it short, keep it as manoeuvrable as possible.

Little light in the torque department, but if you're only planning on 5 axle work, it'll be fine.

No lockers, that'd be a deal breaker for me. At the very least I'd want one and a power divider/interlock


I'd pass on it.
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point taken. Ive seen this truck for the 3 years Ive been up here, but it is under specced for how I thought it would be. If it had a 500/1800 and lockers, Id probably be making a deal for it now, damned be the wheelbase.

He is selling because hes not hauling end dump no more and hauling local dry freight and long wheelbase sucks for him.
 
Beast said:
This is some of the dumbest shit I've read yet in this thread.

You don't replace every set of brakes because you popped an axle seal and contaminated one set of shoes.

One piggyback rusts out, rest are good, but lets replace em all so they match?:shaking:
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I probably went about this wrong, I was not trying to say what anyone should do, I was simply saying the things I use to judge the condition of a used truck. It is such a crap shoot you gotta look for any indicators you can.

To me it is shocking the stuff you see people drive. We walk into a place like the cummins shop here and you can see 5 violations or unsafe things from 30 ft away.
But hey if they can get away with it. Fine, but I hate to see them driving the same roads as my wife and kids.
Unka-Boo said:
3.90 and a 10sp......ya, you aint doing much hwy driving...:barf:
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He wants to add lockers pretty bad so a gear swap would be no biggy.
Or swap to 11R 24.5 tires.
Or just don't go over 65. But yeah definitely not geared best for where the engine is designed to run. That is like old cowboy stuff run it up against the governor every shift every time, all day long. LOL Old school.
 
Fuck it, run it. I ran a 2012 ISX for 2yrs and that once I got my hands on it, I fixed all the issues that plagued it. Deleted it, then it got an inframe because the egr cooler was leaking coolant through the combustion chambers.

271" wb isnt shit. I run longer than that with a spread axle trailer and go into all sorts of tight jobsites. My truck will get stretched to 300+ one day.

That truck isnt a dry van hauler. But its spec'd kind of weird with 3.90's and a 10spd. I'd rock that truck for regional flatbed/stepdeck hauling though.

50k isnt a horrible buy in this market, imo.
 
Tiha said:
Or just don't go over 65. But yeah definitely not geared best for where the engine is designed to run. That is like old cowboy stuff run it up against the governor every shift every time, all day long. LOL Old school.
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ain't they stuck at 55 in CA?
 
montrose818 said:
With inventory so low, I am willing to be flexible on some things, especially that can be easily swapped out. What about the rest of it? healthy hp, lockers, price not retarded
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That is not a money making truck hauling a dry van around.

It scream equipment hauler, but the 10spd confuses me. Usually anyone who specs a truck like that has a 13 or 18 in it. 10spds are fleet trans meant for dummys before they went full retard with autos.
 
How much of that $20-25k a month is profit? Truck payment, fuel, tires, insurance, maintenance? Mow many miles do you think you'll run a month, how much per mile does this freight pay, and how much dead heading?

How many days a month do you think you'll be on the road? What's truck rental cost for those days? 0 financial liability and a fixed expense, decide it isn't for you or the high dollar freight dries up. Looks like Penske LA is $1,295 a week + $.20 per mile for a class 8 with a sleeper. Running 12k miles a month having the truck every week that's $7,580 a month and 0 emissions repairs expense liability chuckling on your way to the bank while other drivers are down for 4 days with $5k worth of emissions repairs.

We have haul truck drivers making $100k+ a year with great benefits working 2 weeks on 2 weeks off (really home for about 12 days with travel days), very little headache for guaranteed home time, and not having to share the road with the general public.

How many OO's are really making $100k a year after expenses? How many nights are they home to make that $100k?

I'm not a truck driver though I used to listen to Kevin Rutherford on XM, I feel like he's the Dave Ramsey of the trucking world. His methods might not be the most profitable though his method seems to pencil out to making decent money. Last time I listened to him he was still 100% screw emissions trucks/ stay out of cali so his method might not work for you. He was all about maximum fuel economy and making a ton off of fuel surcharge.

Running 3k miles at 6mpg you are spending $2,000 at $4 a gallon fuel, Running 3k miles at 5.5mpg you are spending $2,181 at $4 a gallon fuel. That extra .5mpg/ $181 per 3k miles adds up pretty quick. Push it to 8mpg and you are only spending $1,500 for fuel though you are probably not going to be able to run the same amount of miles in the same amount of time as the 6mpg truck though you'll make the same net profit running less miles at 8mpg as the guy running 6mpg makes running more miles. If you only run 78k a year you are still putting an extra $4,700 in your pocket with that .5mpg. I personally would be looking for the best mpg truck you can find. Who gives a shit about looks, you are doing this to make money not look good, lot lizards don't care what your truck looks like. At $4 per gallon diesel 6mpg is $1 per mile in fuel, 7mpg is $.86 per mile in fuel, 8mpg is $.75 per mile in fuel, saving 1mpg on a 2k run is an extra $280 in your pocket for a 2k run. These numbers aren't factoring in fuel surcharge, get better than what it's calculated at and high fuel prices can be your friend.

Use these numbers how you wish though I'd be willing to bet half the OO steering wheel holders out there have never done the math above.

I'm hoping by now with all your businesses you've figured out it's a numbers game. How do the numbers work out?
 
barrelroll said:
How much of that $20-25k a month is profit? Truck payment, fuel, tires, insurance, maintenance? Mow many miles do you think you'll run a month, how much per mile does this freight pay, and how much dead heading?

How many days a month do you think you'll be on the road? What's truck rental cost for those days? 0 financial liability and a fixed expense, decide it isn't for you or the high dollar freight dries up. Looks like Penske LA is $1,295 a week + $.20 per mile for a class 8 with a sleeper. Running 12k miles a month having the truck every week that's $7,580 a month and 0 emissions repairs expense liability chuckling on your way to the bank while other drivers are down for 4 days with $5k worth of emissions repairs.

We have haul truck drivers making $100k+ a year with great benefits working 2 weeks on 2 weeks off (really home for about 12 days with travel days), very little headache for guaranteed home time, and not having to share the road with the general public.

How many OO's are really making $100k a year after expenses? How many nights are they home to make that $100k?

I'm not a truck driver though I used to listen to Kevin Rutherford on XM, I feel like he's the Dave Ramsey of the trucking world. His methods might not be the most profitable though his method seems to pencil out to making decent money. Last time I listened to him he was still 100% screw emissions trucks/ stay out of cali so his method might not work for you. He was all about maximum fuel economy and making a ton off of fuel surcharge.

Running 3k miles at 6mpg you are spending $2,000 at $4 a gallon fuel, Running 3k miles at 5.5mpg you are spending $2,181 at $4 a gallon fuel. That extra .5mpg/ $181 per 3k miles adds up pretty quick. Push it to 8mpg and you are only spending $1,500 for fuel though you are probably not going to be able to run the same amount of miles in the same amount of time as the 6mpg truck though you'll make the same net profit running less miles at 8mpg as the guy running 6mpg makes running more miles. If you only run 78k a year you are still putting an extra $4,700 in your pocket with that .5mpg. I personally would be looking for the best mpg truck you can find. Who gives a shit about looks, you are doing this to make money not look good, lot lizards don't care what your truck looks like. At $4 per gallon diesel 6mpg is $1 per mile in fuel, 7mpg is $.86 per mile in fuel, 8mpg is $.75 per mile in fuel, saving 1mpg on a 2k run is an extra $280 in your pocket for a 2k run. These numbers aren't factoring in fuel surcharge, get better than what it's calculated at and high fuel prices can be your friend.

Use these numbers how you wish though I'd be willing to bet half the OO steering wheel holders out there have never done the math above.

I'm hoping by now with all your businesses you've figured out it's a numbers game. How do the numbers work out?
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You would be amazed what a Freightliner Coronado glider with a 500 hp DD60 and 13 double-over can get in fuel efficiency and at the speeds it achieves the best economy. Its a shame he can't even consider one of them, though.
 
DRTDEVL said:
You would be amazed what a Freightliner Coronado glider with a 500 hp DD60 and 13 double-over can get in fuel efficiency and at the speeds it achieves the best economy. Its a shame he can't even consider one of them, though.
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Yep. Maybe the OP will realize the pretty heavy haul truck isn't the cash machine an "areo" truck is, maybe he won't. The guys who have figured out the numbers are laughing all the way to the bank when they see a guy with dollars flying out the stacks of his cool kid truck. I'd be looking for the most fuel efficient reliable truck I could afford if I was in his shoes. Who cares if it's some odd former fleet color and ugly as hell if you are making bank though the OP has all ready stated he's willing to give up economy for looks.
 
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barrelroll said:
Yep. Maybe the OP will realize the pretty heavy haul truck isn't the cash machine an "areo" truck is, maybe he won't. The guys who have figured out the numbers are laughing all the way to the bank when they see a guy with dollars flying out the stacks of his cool kid truck. I'd be looking for the most fuel efficient reliable truck I could afford if I was in his shoes. Who cares if it's some odd former fleet color and ugly as hell if you are making bank though the OP has all ready stated he's willing to give up economy for looks.
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Nicer truck = better paying loads. I care about looks and what I am driving because if I have to spend 24 hours a day in it for days at a time, it should be something I enjoy. The extra 400 Id spend a fuel a month isnt really shit here. Hell I probably spend 150+/month on just coffee. Also Cali loads pay more.

Its not my only source of income, just something to do for a change here and there, and maybe put a driver with it other times. If I can come out with 10k a month running 4k myself and the other 4-5k someone else, it works for me. Math plays out. 8k miles at $3.5= 28k. 5k to a driver for a part time driver leaves 23k. 5k in fuel, 18k. Truck payment, insurance, misc expenses, and I still have 10+k on the table when I am done. Ive seen enough guys do this and all I think about meanwhile is why am I not at least trying it.
 
montrose818 said:
Nicer truck = better paying loads. I care about looks and what I am driving because if I have to spend 24 hours a day in it for days at a time, it should be something I enjoy. The extra 400 Id spend a fuel a month isnt really shit here. Hell I probably spend 150+/month on just coffee. Also Cali loads pay more.

Its not my only source of income, just something to do for a change here and there, and maybe put a driver with it other times. If I can come out with 10k a month running 4k myself and the other 4-5k someone else, it works for me. Math plays out. 8k miles at $3.5= 28k. 5k to a driver for a part time driver leaves 23k. 5k in fuel, 18k. Truck payment, insurance, misc expenses, and I still have 10+k on the table when I am done. Ive seen enough guys do this and all I think about meanwhile is why am I not at least trying it.
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There isnt a shipper out there that gives a fuck about what kind of truck or the condition of it as long as you're moving their freight.

Dont base your #'s on what other people are doing/claiming they do. You're never going to find a driver that will treat your equipment as nice as you do. Truck drivers are some of the most whiney bitches ever.
 
In looking for a 362 of the late 80's to mid 90's I'm wanting the shortest useable wheel base, with a 110 inch cab being a bit longer than a 96 inch WB hard to come up with the common wheel bases used with sleeper cab COE's.
 
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