I need a moving truck

Cujet

Cujet

Joined
Feb 15, 2003
Messages
15,687
Location
Jupiter, Florida
I am in need of a moving truck. I plan to retire, and need to get my aircraft support equipment and Northern household stuff out of 5 different East Coast locations (hangars) Then I plan to move my main S. FL household to somewhere more rural, TN maybe.

I don't have a CDL, so I am limited to a 26,000 pound or less truck. Although it would be nice to have at least a 20 foot box, or even a 24-26 foot cargo box. Which is easier to sell when done, larger or smaller, diesel or gas?

I've been looking for some time, and I'm just not sure how much to spend or what to purchase. Or even where the deals might be.

My typical FL to PA to NY trip is 1354 miles. I'd make that trip twice. And the FL to TN trip prob 5-6 times. At 1400 miles round trip.

Yes, I have a LOT of stuff, including a small machine shop, with lathe and mill, along with various welders and tools.

Since this class of truck can carry 10K pounds cargo, I'd be weight limited and not volume limited. There are weigh stations en route.

Something like this with a flat floor would be ideal:

24-F650BoxT.png
 
Last edited:
GMFan said:
Is there a reason you wouldn’t just rent a moving truck from Budget or Uhaul when you need it?
Click to expand...
Total cost for rentals would be insane, plus I work kind of slowly due to health issues. Good weeks and bad.

The one way from NY to FL is currently $5K and I'd have to do it twice.

Not to mention the multiple FL to TN (or where ever) trips. I do have property in TN, hence my interest.


EDIT: The basic numbers for round trips are
$100 per day
$1 per mile.

So each TN trip would be a minimum of 7 days and 1500 miles. Or $2,200 plus tax.

Total rental cost would be no lower than $22,000
 
Last edited:
Brother in law moved from Freeport, TX to up near Fort Worth area. He found that using PODS was cheaper than renting a truck. This included day labor he paid for at the unloading end. I don't know what timelines you are under, but using PODS or ABF freight pods (assuming the hangar owner/employer is amenable) might be a better answer than renting and driving, especially considering your five location issue.
 
Here you go. $5K, 26,000 GVWR, 5.9L Cummins. Idled well when I looked at it a few months ago.

1997 Ford F800 Box Truck | Cecil's Tractors, Inc

Cecil's Tractors, Inc is an agricultural dealership located in Warrenton, VA. We carry the latest Mahindra models, including Tractors and Utility Vehicles. We also offer rentals, service, and financing near the areas of Fauquier, Culpeper, Loudoun, Prince William and Stafford.
www.cecilstractors.com www.cecilstractors.com
 
Look at a commercial truck lot i.e Mitsubishi or Hino. They are usually in the industrial areas but may have a trade-in that isn't particularly interesting or useful to them that could be a good deal.
 
97prizm said:
Look at a commercial truck lot i.e Mitsubishi or Hino. They are usually in the industrial areas but may have a trade-in that isn't particularly interesting or useful to them that could be a good deal.
Click to expand...

Are those OK for 2 day highway trips? For some reason I thought those were geared and sized for in town/city use.
 
SatinSilver said:
I'm sure @GON has some tips for you on this.
Click to expand...
My first thought looking at CUJET's post was the type of items being moved. Moving machine tool equipment is often a challenge, even for professional riggers. And on a 26' box truck- how is that heavy equipment being moved from ground level to truck floor level?

You won't like my answer- sell it all locally and buy what you want/ need after you find your permanent home in Florida or Tennessee. Have an auctioneer sell it all.

Another course of action is to buy a gooseneck flatbed, and tarp the load to protect from weather. A 26k GVWR box truck is going to weigh 16k empty with fuel. With a CDL that same truck without modifications will haul significantly more. And I am not sure you can find a 26k GVWR box truck easily. I don't know if Penske revises the GVWR when the sell their box trucks designed for consumer rentals.

If one could find a 2wd Ford 7.3L diesel dually (lowest cost used truck option) that was well maintained, get a gooseneck and an enclosed trailer, that may be a way to move your stuff affordably on your schedule. And if market conditions stay the same, you likely can get full price selling the trailers and the truck when you are done with the moves.
 
I'd pick up a cheap NPR and sell it when you're done.

There was one on FB Marketplace that had an entire mobile workshop already built in. I called as soon as I saw it but missed it.
 
Penske Truck Sales has some nice ones available. From cheap to pretty nice. Twenty two footer in the pic for $13k.
12.jpeg.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: GON
I like the PODS idea. Not sure if cheaper. But making the trip several times in a vehicle that quite frankly isn't optimized for a smooth ride... Last time I drove a Budget it barely made it up any hill (including ones I couldn't see) (and we did 45 in more than a few spots), and worse of all, no cruise control.

I get it, you'll buy, use for a few months, then flip at hopefully break-even cost. Seems smart to me, but I wonder if it is worth a few bucks to pay someone to drive (aka use PODS).
 
Gut an RV? Those can go over 26k on a normal license, and you're not engaged in commerce.
 
eljefino said:
Gut an RV? Those can go over 26k on a normal license, and you're not engaged in commerce.
Click to expand...
Interesting idea. I want to say one of the early Roadkill episodes they bought an RV, just for the 440, and found it hard to dispose of the vehicle afterwards.

OTOH, get it cheap (bad roof should be ok to seal back up, who cares about interior damage), and then plan on scrapping when done. Probably on the hook for new tires though. Once the shell is gone the rest should count as scrap metal to someone. But its a lot of fluff to stuff into a dumpster.
 
Penske at least circa the late ‘00s when I was there would sell off their fleet at a certain mileage. Gas 16 footers and smaller around 100k, larger diesel equipment (22-26 foot box) around 200k - 250k IIRC. Maintenance records should be part of the sale as most maintenance is done at corporate locations and logged. There was incentive (at least on the dedicated one way stuff) to do maintenance on time because the corporate location gets dinged if it is sent without the appropriate maintenance being done.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

W
Truck lift kits, squatted trucks, safety issues
Replies
18
Views
706
vpr5703
Finklejag
Using an Uhaul moving truck to haul yard debris
Replies
14
Views
4K
zzyzzx
vavavroom
I saw a Waymo kinda force a lane change
2
Replies
27
Views
1K
Thermo1223
slo town
How many people still use paper maps?
2 3 4
Replies
67
Views
2K
BMW Dom
John105
Cell phone plan marketing and the lesser of two evils
Replies
7
Views
462
John105
Back
Top