The new log hauler

[Quartlow]

Since I'm tired of beating the poor pickup to death pulling trailers with logs and equipment around I decided it was time to make some changes.

Either trade the F250 in on a F-350 or F-550 Or a 3550 or 4500 gmc
Or find a used truck to beat around in and fix the F-250 up some for a daily driver.

Welll after I got over the sticker shock thing I decided that wasn't a viable route. Ain't no way on earth I'm making a $400 to $500 a month truck payment. Thats just insane.

So started checking out the used truck market. Even a beater 1.5 ton truck 10 to 15 years old is $4000 and up for something halfway decent.

hmmm back to the drawing board. And then I found it, A 1972 Freightliner. 290 cummins with a Jake Brake, 13 speed Roadranger and With 4:11 rears.
Nice tires new brakes, steeerings tight, Outside looks good, inside is a little on the humble side nothing a good cleaning won't take care of. Biggest needs, new exhaust, some wiring work, a fresh set of batteries and rebush the seuspension. All this for a $1000. My brother has an extra 48 foot flatbed  I can use till I find my own trailer. License palits will only run around $600 a year for a straight ohio base plate. Of course that means I can only use it in ohio but I don't want to get to far from home anyway.

Now I just have to iron out a deal with one of the local aluminum extrusion plants to lease direct to them and haul their local freight. The head shipper has told me on more than one occasion if I ever got my own truck he would put me to work 2 or 3 days a week wich fits right in with my scedule.

[tnlogger]

 :D  Quartlow your not only going too haul your own logs your going in the trucking buisness  8)

[KiwiCharlie]

Hey Quartlow,
Way to go!  Looks great.
In my last job, we had a trucking co come in daily to take our waste bins away.  Amongst others, they had 2 huge Freightliner Argosys.  One had this massive sleeper unit on it.  Man it was nice inside.  Double bed, fridge, tv etc etc!  Sweet looking truck.  The only thing was, they had heaps of trouble with the computers in them.  Kept shutting down the truck with bogus engine overheat warnings.  It gives you a few minuites to stop somewhere then shuts everything down.  The only way to get going again is for a Freightliner tech to come out with a laptop, plug into the truck and sort it out!  Freightliner ended up telling them the roads here (tar with stone chip) were too rough and the vibrations were messing with the computer!    They also used to go through lots of the rubber bush things that the cab rides on.
Anyway, Im sure your one (no computers in that one!) will serve you well, be it ali or logs your haulin.
Cheers
Charlie.

[Quartlow]

the Argosy was a piece off crap from the get go. I know a guy who had 6 of them and they had tons of trouble with.  Same as those ones computer problems and cab bushings, and these where road trucks. I know guys running log trucks and tri axles with computer controlled engines and they don't have any trouble. Freight liner just wouldn't admit that the Argosys where an engineering disaster. they should put that thing on the history channels engineering disaster show  :D :D :D :D :D :D

I crack myself up,

[KiwiCharlie]

Hi Quartlow,
Thats interesting to hear that the whole lot had trouble.  Shame, as it was a great looking truck, especially with the huge sleeper and a b-train on the back.  The guy driving it used to work afternoons/nights, getting back around 1 or 2 in the morning, and then spent anywhere up to 2 hours cleaning it before knocking off!
Cheers
Charlie.

[woodhick]

Hey quartlow, congrats on your find, but before you get to excited check on insurance rates for that thing!!!!  I recently traded for a  2 1/2 ton international single axle flat bed.  Found an old RO stinger boom truck setting in the weeds a few miles from home with a bad chassis.  Talked to the utility contractor that owned and seems that our "good ole epa" had ordered him to get rid of his parked trucks.  So I bought boom for $1,000, and put it on the cornbinder.  I thought I had the perfect truck for a partime sawyer,junker,etc.  Then I priced insurance .  The best rate I found for liability was around $1500 year :'( :'(.  I guess that's really not all that bad but I can't justify 2 grand a year for license and insurance.   I don't want to discourage you just check out all costs before you get in too deep.  Good Luck.

[Kevin_H.]

I think the plates for a rig like that would run somewhere around 3000.00 a year here in illinois.

On the subject of insurance, my logger stated that insurance for hauling explosives was cheaper that insurance for hauling logs...

I was a little surprised today to find that the insurance on our C 60 was only going to be about 350.00 a year...

[Buzz-sawyer]

Ours runs $204...but we have mucho multiples too ;)

[Quartlow]

I think the plates for a rig like that would run somewhere around 3000.00 a year here in illinois.

On the subject of insurance, my logger stated that insurance for hauling explosives was cheaper that insurance for hauling logs...

I was a little surprised today to find that the insurance on our C 60 was only going to be about 350.00 a year...

An aportion plate that allows you to run multiple states will run you 2500 or so  a year,here depending on how many states you plate for. A straight base plate for most states is usually cheaper. As for insurance I'm running it through a friends company and its going to run me around 650 a year. many trucks insured as oppsed to one gets things done cheaper. It's good to have friends in high places.

[maple flats]

You'll just have to cut more logs to pay the expenses, sounds easy. Get lights on everything cause ya might need  ??? ???ta work after dark. 8) ;D ;D :D

[FeltzE]

Our insurance on 54,000 lb truck went $2400/yr and thats the minimum we could find anywhere. Plates were based on weight costing a few hundred annually, "Not For Hire" reduced the cost of my plates and insurance as well.

Don't forget to look into fuel tax tags. Cheper to have the tag than to get the ticket, here we can't get the plates without the truck registred with a tax number.

All the ancellary costs have driven us to sell our big truck, it was profitable when we ran it 4 days a week, but when we changed course in how we soruced timber, the truck quickly became uneconimical. comical isn't it..?

Eric

[Quartlow]

Even if it cost Say $3000 a year its still cheaper than a new F550. Payments on a new truck could well end up being $400 to $500 a month. even at $400 a month thats $4800 a year not including plates and taxes. Buy the time you finish paying it off if you worked it any amount its going ot be wore out soon after its paid off putting you back in the cycle of buy another one.

Granted your not going to use the semi to run an errand in a pinch but you'll be for ever wearing this thing out. At my last part time job we had truck withwith over a million miles on them.  Your going to make less trips and be able to haul bigger loads safer.  Let say you cut 50,000 pounds of log's. Thats one load for a semi. an F550 with a  ttri axle trailer at best thats 3 loads.

so your going to have more time involved and more expense involved. If the semi gets 5 MPG and the 550 gets 10. and you have to haul them 60 miles round trip. the semi uses 12 gallons of fuel total.  the 550 with  making 3 trips uses 18 gallons of fuel.

I figure as long as I can work the truck one day a week hauling aluminum I'll be  ahead of the game. And even if I don't work it for less than the cost of new truck I have a truck that will haul anything I want.

[sawguy21]

Years ago, a buddy was driving a similar rig with a deck and pup hauling lumber. The boss was a bit of a shyster and had it licenced and insured through the broker.
A cop pulled him over and demanded to know why he did not have a motor carrier plate. Don't need one. DO SO. Do not. Why not? The guy who owns the truck owns the lumber. Got a ticket for a burnt out marker light :D
It should serve you well for light use as long as the repair bills don't kill ya and you got a place to bunk when the missus gets on yer butt 8)

[rebocardo]

> Payments on a new truck could well end up being $400 to $500 a month

Plus, after 6 years of LEASE payments, you still do not own it and have to pay for damages and extra miles. They always find damage so they can keep your deposit.

The real cost, if you paid cash would be 40k/6years/12months = $555  Not to mention the insurance on a new truck or if you need it repaired out of warranty at $75 an hour.

I think buying a really cheap truck (you own it for $1000!  8)  )and deducting the allowable IRS mileage is a good way to break even. Just do not let repairs kill you, especially on engine work. Be careful working around the tires and inflating them and working around the cans on the rear brakes.

[Quartlow]

> Payments on a new truck could well end up being $400 to $500 a month
Just do not let repairs kill you, especially on engine work. Be careful working around the tires and inflating them and working around the cans on the rear brakes.

I don't do tires!!! Thats what a tire shop is for. I HATE fixing tires, Now I will change them but you won't catch me breaking them down. As for brake can's, yeah a Maxi brake will kill you in a second and it won't feel a thing. 

[J_T]

Quartlow we got a truck junk yard near me  8) Awhile back a buddy needed a 9 speed transmition for a cab over almost like yours I offered to sell him a GMC with a 300hp detroit with a 8 speed for 1,400 insted he gave 1,200 for a 9 speed go figure ??? Freind of mine has a truck with almost two million miles on it still runing long haul.His has the gears turned around in the transmission and almost never gets out of 11th .Had to go get it once as his driver got in jale he got caught doing over 120mph : Those old trucks will run forever. 8)

[Furby]

DanG, I need to look at trucks out your way!
A 1 to 2 year old F350, extended cab, with between 30 and 55k miles has payments between $750 and 850 a month around here. 

This is going up on auction in a couple weeks down Hawby's way.
2001 Ford F-550 Four Wheel Drive, 4 door, automatic diesel truck, approx. 40,000 miles, other features include: tool box, fuel tanks (owned since new)

21' Maclander flatbed trailer with 6 foot upper deck & 4' beaver tail with ramps, 25,900 GVW
Kinda interested in seeing what it goes for.  :

[Quartlow]

.Had to go get it once as his driver got in jale he got caught doing over 120mph : Those old trucks will run forever. 8)

It's kind of Ironic that your nick name is JT, since I have a friend who is like a brother who Lives on the west coast who we call JT. He was also a fan of fast trucks for years. VERY FAST trucks. He had a pete 359 with a 444 cummins 15 speed overdrive with a 4 speed brownie behind that. He had the fuel severely twisted to that thing. not only was it extremely fast It didn't slow down on hills. He also knows all about keeping a driver out of jail, since he had to convince a wyoning troper not to put me in jail one weekend for 95 in a 55.  ;D