What diesel pickup for highway hauling?

I am looking at starting a side-business (very preliminary).

In short, what diesel pickup would you recommend for highway hauling? I want to stay away from 6.0L/6.4L/6.7L Fords, and 6.7L cummins if used. Everything else is fair game.

I'll be hauling at max gvw of the vehicle, would prefer to be able to tow 14.5klb minimum (including trailer) but the higher I go, the better. I do not want a dually. I would prefer a 4x4, as I would also be using this as a personal vehicle. I have gone through the rules/laws/regulations for creating a transport business, I have that side handled :)

New trucks are a possibility, especially considering this would be a business and warranty is a fantastic thing. I am considering used because at this time, I'd like to start the business for minimal outlay in case the model doesn't work. I can handle a $20k used diesel pickup personally, but $55k for a new one is stretching it and I'd hate to take a $10k+ loss if I folded the business. If there is a strong case to be made for a new one, I am all ears (including the models I previously exnayed).

My current preference is a 2003-2004 Cummins 3500 4x4 with 6 speed manual. They seem dead nuts reliable, and my understanding is that the biggest thing to stay on top of is the front suspension.

Keep in mind, my business model has me hauling less than 8000kms every 2 months, and only for 7 days or less. So as long as the truck can comfortably haul at 70mph the load I've described (open deck gooseneck cargo hauler trailer @ ~14k lbs), it is good.

Any specific reason for the "no dually" requirement? I would think that they'd be tailor made for your requirements.

If it's for a business, I'd go for the best condition Cummins or 7.3L Powerstroke I could find for the budget. Agree with not dropping the coin on a new one - I wouldn't do that until I knew the business was generating enough cash to justify the expense. After all, you're starting the business to make money and not to spend it all on a truck.

BoxheadTim wrote: Any specific reason for the "no dually" requirement? I would think that they'd be tailor made for your requirements. If it's for a business, I'd go for the best condition Cummins or 7.3L Powerstroke I could find for the budget. Agree with not dropping the coin on a new one - I wouldn't do that until I knew the business was generating enough cash to justify the expense. After all, you're starting the business to make money and not to spend it all on a truck.

No dually: everyone I have talked to have said it is not worth it for what you gain. I do not need "more" capacity to justify the dually, and at 15k lbs I don't think stability of a low-height open deck trailer is an issue. (and after having driven I94 recently, I don't want a vehicle to be any wider than necessary ).

If I was hauling travel trailers or higher CG stuff, I'd definitely consider it. On top of that, I would like to be able to use it as a personal vehicle to cut down on expenses elsewhere in life to make the business more viable.

What about a lease? You would be able to write off the lease payments as a business expense, as opposed with a purchase that you can only claim a certain percentage. Although a lease might be restictive with respect to the kms you would be driving... But it might be worth investigating...

ggarrard wrote: What about a lease? You would be able to write off the lease payments as a business expense, as opposed with a purchase that you can only claim a certain percentage. Although a lease might be restictive with respect to the kms you would be driving... But it might be worth investigating...

With the KM restrictions I see, plus what I will be hauling, I do not think a lease will be viable. On top of that, all of the rig pigs out here buy instead of lease and they are all contractors, so I would assume (maybe incorrectly?) that they have a reason to be buying/financing. I will look into it a bit more, but I also like the ability to modify the vehicle as I see fit (it would need a 5th wheel hitch for starters, and tune's are supposed to help bigtime for mileage).

I'd sit down and have a chat with an accountant too before buying anything. I am no expert, but I think there is a huge write-off on new business trucks.

that said, a write-off means nothing if you don't make the money, but if you have sources of income other than the business you might be able to apply the truck write off to that other income too (this would be the case for both new and used though).

The biggest mistake I made (tax wise) when I started my business is I started it at the beginning of the year right after I quit my day job. This added a lot of hassle in applying first year losses to other income years. If I would have started the business dec 31 instead of Jan 1 (not what I did but you get the picture) I would have been able to apply the start up losses to my other personal income easily, which would have been advantageous since I made a lot more money the year before I started the business than the year I actually started the business.

If I had talked to an accountant for 1 hour for $100 bucks or something it would have saved me much more than that simply in hassle, not to mention the accountant time to fix it all up after the fact.

I also had a bad accountant at first.... so trust your gut there and talk to other clients. Just because they look successful doesn't mean they are a good fit for you.

buy the best condition for the money. If it happens to be a dually, knock off the fenders and the swap on 'regular' wheels.

It was a special order truck but my mothers' boyfriends Dodge is a 2001 Diesel but a 3500 single rear wheel setup. He to didn't want a dually but the extra capacity of the 3500 over the 2500 was welcome. He's a farmer who routinely hauls very heavy loads and at 200K miles that truck is a trooper.

rcutclif wrote: I'd sit down and have a chat with an accountant too before buying anything.

Absolutely! It is a great point to bring up :) I will definitely be looking into an accountant. My family already has a business (has owned a couple), so we also have a lawyer we typically use for these things. He's covering the legal aspects, but I will definitely search for an accountant that maybe is used to dealing with the transportation industry!

I definitely will pay "more" money for better condition/lower mileage examples. I am pretty firm on the "no-dually", and as a business, I would be in the business to do transportation, not mechanical work :)

HiTempguy wrote: My current preference is a 2003-2004 Cummins 3500 4x4 with 6 speed manual. They seem dead nuts reliable, and my understanding is that the biggest thing to stay on top of is the front suspension.

I had a 2003 Cummins Ram 2500 quad cab 6 speed 4x4 for a daily for 8 years and 180k miles. The engine and trans (NV5600) were rock solid. Oil changes every 10k along with a fuel filter change were about it. I was stranded twice by a dead FCA (fuel control actuator-normally closed solenoid in fuel line). The truck ATE front wheel unit bearings (three sets) before I swapped over to a locking hub set-up with standard bearings. The driveshafts and front axle u-joints were always causing me issues as well (replaced twice each). Shocks were gone at 30k. Replaced with a Fox shock set-up from KORE along with new springs and adjustable track bar. They require D load rated tires to avoid death wobble which is a terrifying experience at any speed. The exhaust rusted away in 2007 and fell off. The body was seriously rusty-rear fenders above the wheel were both gone about 6" up, door skins (x4) were all delaminating, doors were starting to bubble along with spots on the front fenders-when it was sold in '11. Mileage logs showed me getting 17-21mpg while I owned it driving typically alone and mainly highway. Dropped to 14 with an open car trailer when towing a car back from VA. Loved the motor just not the Dodge wrapped around it. Good luck!

Diesel trucks don't depreciate all that much. They're valuable to people because they can make money. For $10k, I'd expect to have to find one with some issues.

Look carefully at a new one. That's how I ended up with a new 4x4 2500 Dodge when I was looking in 2010 - the used ones just didn't make sense. I went with the 2500 instead of the 3500 because of the softer spring set, which I bolstered via a set of airbags for when I'm loaded up. Makes for a good dual-purpose setup and keeps the truck level when loaded. It's a far cry from my father-in-law's 2006 3500 Dodge in terms of civility, and he's started muttering about trading up.

Keith Tanner wrote: Look carefully at a new one. That's how I ended up with a new 4x4 2500 Dodge when I was looking in 2010 - the used ones just didn't make sense. I went with the 2500 instead of the 3500 because of the softer spring set, which I bolstered via a set of airbags for when I'm loaded up. Makes for a good dual-purpose setup and keeps the truck level when loaded. It's a far cry from my father-in-law's 2006 3500 Dodge in terms of civility, and he's started muttering about trading up.

I was told the 2500 Dodges were rougher than the 3500's, because you ran into the additional helper spring pack when loaded. I'm definitely interested if that isn't the case, as I would love to run airbags as I think they are god's gift to man!

Do you have the 5.9L or the 6.7L? If buying new, my main concern is emissions and durability/maintenance costs. I know the older cummins a bit, and I really know gm pickups, I just would hate to be one of the people who bought a 6.0L Ford and lost dearly because of such a crappy product!

I really have no problem buying new, especially since I'd be using it for personal use and hauling my rallycar, I'd end up just mile'ing it out.

Look harder at towing capacity charts for the various models. That will be the most compelling reason to consider a newer truck, probably a dually.

You said the MINIMUM you need is 14,500. Dodge had only 1 truck in 2004 that was rated for that- the 3500 with the HO Turbo Diesel and the 4.10 rear. That truck was rated for a maximum of 16,100. No other Dodge trucks would work (all rated for less than 14,5), and the 3.73 rear won't either. It's gonna suck fuel.

Newer Dodges can tow up to 30,000 lbs, but that's a dually. The single rear wheels are more like 17,800 lbs.

Yes, I know "rated tow capacities" are under-rated. But before the "I towed a house with my S-10" crowd jumps down my throat, it is a bad idea to have a business model that routinely violates the DOT regs. You WILL get nailed.

14,500 is pretty heavy.

Keith Tanner wrote: Diesel trucks don't depreciate all that much.

Not sure I agree, if we are talking about a $60k truck.

BTW, you compromise towing capacity rating with 4x4. Single wheel and shorter wheel bases (smaller cabs) also compromise towing capacity.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1998-Freightliner-FL-50-Ext-Cab-rebuilt-300-HP-Cat-Reman-Engine-w-22K-miles-/201163500133?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2ed6476a65&item=201163500133&pt=Commercial_Trucks

The 2004 2500 maximum towing was 12,950.

X2 0n the Freightliner, or a similar size IH or Isuzu. Your $20k would go a long way with a used one that wouldn't even break a sweat with that kind of load.

oldopelguy wrote: X2 0n the Freightliner, or a similar size IH or Isuzu. Your $20k would go a long way with a used one that wouldn't even break a sweat with that kind of load.

I agree.

HTG, do you have a CDL?

Hard to go wrong with a 99-03 Ford Powerstroke 7.3 F250 or F350. They can be found quite reasonably priced ($5-15k) around me (SF Bay, CA) with 100-200k miles.

Maybe use it for a the first year to see how biz goes and keep your overhead low. If it goes well, get a new truck and take advantage of the biz leases (which I know nothing about)

ggarrard wrote: What about a lease?

I wouldn't for a new business. If it's for an existing business that already generates a reasonable cash flow, yes, maybe, but not for one you're building up. The main reason is that you (as the owner) has to spend money on the truck every month if it makes you money or not and if the business doesn't work out, you can't just sell it. Returning a lease early tends to be a very expensive proposition, and it's not like you'd be making more money by leaving the 10k in a savings account to earn mahoosive amounts of interest while you're paying interest on the lease.

Buy a decent truck, see if the business works out, if it does you can always upgrade the truck later rather than being stuck with lease payments on a $60k rig and no business to support it.

amg_rx7 wrote: Hard to go wrong with a 99-03 Ford Powerstroke 7.3 F250 or F350. They can be found quite reasonably priced ($5-15k) around me (SF Bay, CA) with 100-200k miles. Maybe use it for a the first year to see how biz goes and keep your overhead low. If it goes well, get a new truck and take advantage of the biz leases (which I know nothing about)

MAX tow 14,200 lbs

My friend who tows a great deal, think maxed out (probably overloaded) three axle 5th wheel, has towed with a 1 ton 4x4 non-dually and a 1 ton 4x4 dually. He said the dually towed a lot better and stopped a lot better. If this is primarily a tow rig, I would not rule out the dually.

SVreX wrote:

oldopelguy wrote: X2 0n the Freightliner, or a similar size IH or Isuzu. Your $20k would go a long way with a used one that wouldn't even break a sweat with that kind of load.

I agree. HTG, do you have a CDL?

The FL50 I posted is Under CDL limits. You can find nice medium duty trucks with a 20K-24K limit so you don't need a CDL.

CDL gets a little sticky when you don't own the loads and are transporting them for hire. Essentially a load for hire is always commercial, if only a class C. Some jurisdictions let it ride, but all it takes is one stickler LEO and you would be done.

With a load >10k# you get into a common confusion area too. Universally >26k total with >10k of it on the trailer is always class A CDL. Over 26k total but <10k trailer is class B. Under 26k and <10k trailer of personal load is no CDL.

Once you get a total under 26k but trailer over 10k you are in a gray area that gets misunderstood as much by LEOs as by everyone else. Add that the load is for hire and you will almost always have to have a CDL.

Getting a CDL has some other ramifications too, like the 15mph over the limit automatic suspension on the second offense kind of stuff.