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To get a newer truck?


lappir

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I spent a month of unemployment and am not ready to retire. If it's anything like the last month, I'm not sure I will ever be ready. I was surprised during a "Healthcare Crisis" that as a RN I was unable to find work. I'm not the only one in the Healthcare field either. Just read something about a Pediatrician being "laid off". Imagine that. At least I didn't have any educational debt's. 

During my time off, I had a lot of time to think. I live by myself and have for years. I'm fine with solitude for the most part. Having someone to share with has it's benefits for sure, but my experience didn't prove they were worth the physical, mental and real dollar costs. Probably why I don't think I can retire. 

Maybe I should have thought of it sooner or maybe things just seem to happen when they happen. I was thinking about purchasing a newer model Volvo (since mine will be 20 next year) and using said truck for a few years to pay for it's self. I would be able to get a much newer or maybe new truck and be reasonably set for the remainder of my life. (Depending on how long I last.)Pretty sure the remainder of my "Traveling life", for sure. I'm at the age where official retirement age was pushed back a few years for the "Social Security" anyway. I'm in decent shape for what I subjected my body to in my younger years and had relatives live into their 80's and 90's despite some of the same bad habit's (Smoking). My biggest concern is how the health care system has changed for the worse during my career. Sure there have been major technical advances, better medications, better understandings and lots of good. The bad and what I think is one of the most important parts of health care is the personal touch between the patient and the caregiver. Some are able to still do it, but lots of things are making it harder and harder to do. The For Profit Health Care industry for one. How it was developed right under out noses is something I hope can be determined and never allowed to happen again. It may have started with the people who could afford to do what ever they wanted to their bodies and then others saw some of the results. It somehow became a thing and people would actually borrow money to have unspeakable things done and not for the sake of a truly better or more healthy life, but for the look, the vanity, and keeping up with friends and neighbors. (actually trying to better them). 

So if you don't remember from a few years ago, I can start typing and then just go off hither and yon. So sorry. Then next sentence will be a question in a new paragraph. 

How many retired Truck Drivers are still reading. Most likely not many. They stopped up there with the Healthcare stuff. Or maybe the unemployment. 

I am wondering if anyone feels my truck paying for it's self for a while is actually possible in the current 2020's. Not the 2000's or the 2010's but going forward. I know few of us can predict the future and even if we try, we are most likely 50/50 on the outcome. About as good as flipping the coin.

I made the mistake of driving a 2020 Volvo VNL760 and looking at the VNL780 with the IShift. Wow compared to my 2001 which I thought was super quiet. The new trucks don't even seem like they are running. And the shifting of the IShift was seamless. I only tried to stomp on the clutch once. Mine is the 3 pedal AutoShift and when I was getting close to the building when I was parking it after the drive I tried to find the clutch and then pushed a bit harder on the brake than necessary. I'm sure you get used to that. I do the same when I get in my car with the automatic for a couple stops. 

OTT and TMI again.  I'm done for now.  Thanks for reading. 

 

Rod

 

 

White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors,  JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift.

1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022

2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top.

2007 Honda GL 1800

2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler

The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. 

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13 minutes ago, podwerkz said:

You mention the truck paying for itself a couple of times.

Will this new truck be hauling freight?

If not, how would it ever pay for itself?

 

 

 

Oh, yes. I've wanted to drive over the road for a long time. Nursing paid much better and was most likely better in the long run for my health, but my younger siblings and my Dad spent years on the road. I'm sort of doing it with my Travel Nursing gig, but not really. I know I can handle the rigs, but don't want to touch the freight. My Dad did Trailer Transit as his last company when I got my younger brothers W900 after he decided he didn't want to be an Owner Operator any more. He was multi log book guy and the electronics that were coming I think put him in  a bad position. I don't think he was ever dangerous, but he didn't either. I'm glad the took away the ability for most to push the envelope and believe we are safer on the road for the most part. Except for the guy I saw a couple weeks ago drive through the grass right after a rain because he/she apparently couldn't back out of the spot they couldn't back into. It was fairly new sod that will never look the same again. 

So yes, I do plan to work the truck. I'd consider hiring a driver to keep the truck rolling as much as possible too. It doesn't pay for itself sitting. I'm sure it would be a trial and error and most likely a lot of error to find the right person to spend that much time with though. Especially someone who has been single for as long at I have. It would be strictly my truck though and not any way shape or form a "partnership" that would be too much like marriage and I ain't never doing that again. 

 

Hope that answers the question with out too much info. 

Rod

White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors,  JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift.

1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022

2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top.

2007 Honda GL 1800

2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler

The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. 

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We're thinking about a newer truck too.  Ours is the same vintage as yours.  But, we're looking at getting a 2-4 y/o truck with low miles, so much lower cost and no need to put it to work.  Trucking is going through a tough time right now, and there's lots of nice late model trucks out there.

But then again, I've never wanted to be a truck driver......

KW T-680, POPEMOBILE
Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN
Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row
Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer.
contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net

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Word on the street is that Celadon trucking declared bankruptcy and the market is flooded with sleeper trucks.  Bargains will follow.

KW T-680, POPEMOBILE
Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN
Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row
Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer.
contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net

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Just to add a thought and I agree with others on not making a lot of money but have you considered delivering new rv's  with a newer truck? I was just out in Elkhart area and the rv business is on a boom with a shortage of drivers, I know a lot that do it say the money isn't the greatest but there is a butt load of people doing it. Just a thought if yours would be set up for rv's and it wouldn't put a strain on the truck but sure the millage would rack up fast. Good luck on your decision.

2017 River Stone Legacy 38MB

2001 T2000 Kenworth

2009 Smart Passion

ET Junior hitch

 

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Thanks again all. 

I finally am packed up and getting ready to head to my next job. April 24th to June 8th would have been a hell of a vacation if I had planned for it and all. I know many others had more time off and may still be off work and I won't go into my thoughts on that right now. I will evaluate things as I go forward. Should have not taken the test drive, because yesterday when I warmed the truck up a bit before hooking up it sure felt old. I'm sure that feeling will go away once I actually get on the road with the trailer behind. It runs so much nicer with a bit of a load. 

I will start studying for the CDL, I know I don't need one to drive my current rig, but if I have it hopefully I will never need it. Anyone have words of wisdom regarding? 

Rod

 

White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors,  JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift.

1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022

2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top.

2007 Honda GL 1800

2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler

The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. 

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words of wisdom?

Humm  there is always a newer, better,  ......  anything ,and if you get it the satisfaction only last a short while ,usually only a year.

There is always a bigger,stronger,tougher  competitor. try to find contentment in what you got ,better by far then the millions of pick-ups out there of any age and type .

Most important paid for, and gets you there to enjoy our environment.The rest is just chasing 'style' - futile and expensive.

2005 volvo 670 freedomline singled
Newmar Torrey Pine 34rsks
woot woot

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In our younger days, my late wife and I were part-time working musicians. In the '80s, we wanted to get her a new synthesizer (electronic keyboard). A sister-in-law's father was a professor of music and also worked in the music publishing and recording business, so I called him for some advice. He started out by asking a couple of questions:

1) Is the synth we have doing anything we don't want it to? I.e., if it were a car, is it smoking, backfiring, stalling at stop lights, etc.?

2) Is the synth we have not doing anything we want or need it to? I.e., if it were a car, does it fail to start when we turn the key, does it fail to stop when we apply the brakes, does it not get us to work on time?

If we could not answer, "Yes" to those two questions, he said we could not really justify the (considerable) expense of a new synthesizer just to get more bells and whistles. Since that conversation, I have referred to this concept as "The Jesse Peterson theory of equipment obsolescence."

Rob

2012 F350 CC LB DRW 6.7
2020 Solitude 310GK-R, MORryde IS, disc brakes, solar, DP windows
Full-time since 8/2015

 

StatesVisited20210913_small.jpg

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18 hours ago, rickeieio said:

Word on the street is that Celadon trucking declared bankruptcy and the market is flooded with sleeper trucks.  Bargains will follow.

That happened back in December I believe...

If a person is truck shopping and willing to jump in the sandbox with the big boys, here is one place to look:

https://www.rbauction.com/?keywords=&category=34138309681

 

 

Nothing to see here. 

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Forced into retirement from Trucking. My kenworth is a 1995 model. 630,000 miles on it now. Figure after I'm dead and gone it will still be going. New would be nice, but the cost of emission's not good to me. Mine no emissions at all. Your 2000 the same, and keep that in mind. Emissions on the new ones can eat into the Fun Budget. Same as our old ones can in keeping them up.

Each year my hearing declines and my old truck gets quieter. Figure in a few more years its as quite as the 2025 models.

 

 


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Howdy All,

When it comes to trucks, like all other things in life there are "WANTS" and "NEEDS".  We can chase wants forever or enjoy that which fulfills our needs.  I am as guilty of this sickness as the rest of you, I sold a darn good Freightliner, that fulfilled 95% of my needs but was sorely lacking when it came to my wants.  I started a thread on this very thing about three years ago when I was discussing this very subject, laid out what I wanted verses what I needed and ended up selling the Freightliner, and building the Peterbilt, I now pilot. 

The Pete, does everything I could ask of it, it fills my needs and more as I can't get the smile off my face when that big yeller kitty walks up the hill.  That said I always want more chrome, chicken lights and a real train horn.  Honk Honk.  NOT making any payments is just icing on the cake, having a paid for truck and trailer means that you can spend your money enjoying life rather then making payments.  There will come a time when I'll have to put some money in the old Pete, that's a given but I can afford to keep it running no matter what happens and still be money ahead of making payments on a newer truck that can cost many thousands just to keep the emissions crap working.

Dave

2001 Peterbilt, 379, Known As "Semi-Sane II", towing a 2014 Voltage 3818, 45 foot long toy hauler crammed full of motorcycles of all types.  Visit my photo web site where you will find thousands of photos of my motorcycle wanderings and other aspects of my life, click this link. http://mr-cob.smugmug.com/

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  • 2 months later...

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It's been a while since I had any new comments and I just reread the topic. Despite the comments regarding how to make a Million, most of the rest were helpful and I thank you. 

I am finishing my 13 week assignment as a Travel Nurse. The location has asked me to stay, but I am not a person who will ever work for one place for any more than about 11 months in one time. In my 30+ years in nursing I have determined that about myself. 

It has been nice working again. I "personally" started looking for a new position  two months ago. Unfortunately my "Recruiter/Representative" didn't start at the same time as I asked him to and when he did send me information on a acceptable position I would want to be submitted to he failed to do so and submitted me to another location. At the same time one of my current coworkers needed to take some time off so I have agreed to extend for another 8 weeks. I had made some appointments for next week. ( when I expected to be traveling to my next position) so will be just taking a week off between. 

During the upcoming week I plan to visit a couple of "Local" truck companies. There area at least three that I can think of that have a fleet of at least 5 trucks and a couple with 20 that I know of. I visited with a company in S.E. Missouri a week or so ago at a gathering of some older fancied up trucks. The driver recruiter was interested in my but had reservations about my not yet having a CDL. He said the "Insurance companies" look at the length of time holding the CDL and don't care how much experience a person has actually behind the wheel. Typical corporate mentality. 

With my domicile in South Dakota I will have to determine where I can obtain a CDL. I have called and emailed the Drivers licensing bureau, but have had no response so far. I will be more persistent when I am off next week, on getting an answer. The trucking companies I will be contacting may have insight. 

If you are still reading, I'm going off topic a bit. It still seems on topic to me, but in  a different way. 

I have been in health care since the late 1970's in some way shape of form. I commented about  that in an earlier post. I am sad to say with all the advancements I have seen in our abilities to provide better care of people the opposite seems to be more prevalent right now. In my own ways I am trying my best to combat this, but it's always going to be a loosing battle, because the one with the most money wins. 

I am close to the usual retirement age, but am in no way ready to even consider not working by choice. If something happens to prevent me from being a productive member of society. I will park my rig and stay where it is. Hopefully it's where I will be able to live out my last days in comfort.

A second thought was brought up by a friend who recently saw some photos of my home. He said "why not rent a truck to pull your rig when you need to move?" It's not really possible was my response. I could more easily "Hire" someone to move it for me and may consider that if my plan for a different truck does not work out or I am unable to keep my current one on the road when I need it. 

My alarm went off a bit ago. I got up before 3 am this morning and need to start getting ready for work. Thanks to all who have read this and will make comments. The writing it down is a big part, but the best part is reading the comments. 

 

Rod

 

McI9BJ0l.jpg

White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors,  JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift.

1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022

2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top.

2007 Honda GL 1800

2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler

The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. 

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Since this thread has sort of morphed from replacing equipment to replacing motivation I might as well weigh in. Some of you may recall when I went full time, and attended the National in Hutchinson from 2013-2017, got my cat Sunflower, all was right with the world. Well sort of.

And this was even discussed by several members, the fact that the one thing they missed the most being a moving target was the lack of a fully equipped shop. That is what I missed severely, plus still being active in the trucking business with an older (2000) model tractor. a maintenance facility was becoming critical, and working on my Studebakers was a consideration.  Soooo, I bought a modest property in NW Indiana in 2018 which is splinters and steel, but serves the need. And opened the only Studebaker Dealer in Remington IN. They needed one. 

Then Cooties.  Trailer Transit, the company I have been leased to for 15 years provides logistics for time sensitive mass events, Disney on Ice(have cancelled all tours through the end of 2022)Cirque du Soleil(declared bankruptcy, stiffed us for $250K worth of transport costs) NASCAR, college football, golf tournaments, rock concerts. Need I go on? Our business evaporated. Just like Pete Kildow, I was forced to suspend operations in March, and terminated my lease in June entering a "trial retirement". Fortunately I have the understanding I can return to Transit with my present 2000 Argosy at any time. TT is hauling new trailers and the occasional military simulator or specialty trailer, but drivers still out there have taken a 30% cut in revenue. In short the only ones out there have to be because of tractor payments or other personal financial considerations. They are literally going bankrupt one load at a time. 

Just like Ron, I am still "adjusting" to retirement. Tractor is still viable ready to go, so am I. Do  I want to reenter a business that is deteriorating or go for another career, sort of the opposite of what Ron is contemplating. I leave, he enters. The world stays in balance. But I am not ready to stop. You can only putter so much. I can justify sitting tight for the moment until some of the unknowns of Covid work themselves out. 

Well, my back up plan with the dealership is doing OK. Might add Packard to the mix if I can.

 

139467276_resizeddealership.jpg.b377f046f6e842a38d2460a9a88a7164.jpg

 

 

Jeff Beyer temporarily retired from Trailer Transit
2000 Freightliner Argosy Cabover
2008 Work and Play 34FK
Homebase NW Indiana, no longer full time

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Okay Rod I have to ask.  What do you consider usual retirement age?  Up here usual retirement age would be sixty five.  Brenda and I met you in Hutch three years ago and we both pegged you as being in your mid forties.
 

Best of luck in whatever you do

Nigel

2006 Volvo VNL 430, 2006 smart cabrio cdi, 2000 Triple E Topaz 30'

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8 hours ago, Nigel said:

Okay Rod I have to ask.  What do you consider usual retirement age?  Up here usual retirement age would be sixty five.  Brenda and I met you in Hutch three years ago and we both pegged you as being in your mid forties.
 

Best of luck in whatever you do

Nigel

Nigel, 

 

Thanks very much for the compliment. Now here is the riddle. 

The year I was born and the year I graduated High School have the same 4 numbers.

 

It happens more than I thought it did, but I learned it about me many years ago sitting in front of a pair in a similar situation who talked loudly  through out my plane ride. 

 

Rod

White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors,  JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift.

1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022

2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top.

2007 Honda GL 1800

2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler

The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. 

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Jeff, 

Sorry to hear your situation is still going on. I had hoped TT would be able to weather the issue, but it seems they are more specialized than I thought.

I have only talked to one Trucking company so far. The person I spoke with in S.E. MO.  said "business is good" Was talking about $.48 per mile and at least 2500 miles per week. If I's take a route with lots of "Drops" I could make $50 per hour or $50 per drop which ever is more. 

 I know they stretch things a bit, but I'm not looking to make a ton of money driving. I would rather they pay me enough to keep up with my bills (which are pretty reasonable right now) and then allow me to purchase the truck after they have depreciated it out all they can.

I will then ensure they pay me well enough to keep me driving for them or will move on to someone who will. 

I am pretty sure I would like the driving part, especially when there is a destination in mind and a time frame to get there. I have seen a lot of the USA so far, but would like to see a lot more, while I still can. I have very much enjoyed my Travel Nursing Career, but am thinking it's time to actually start moving more often and not going back to the same places over and over. 

Rod

 

White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors,  JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift.

1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022

2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top.

2007 Honda GL 1800

2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler

The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. 

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