Buying HD truck

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Nov 5, 2009
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orlando,FL
Which hd truck is good if I don't have money to buy the new one at this moment. I need a truck that can haul 30k/lb. Thinking about doing transportation business. Anyone know how I can start into this. Do I just go to the dealerships about service they need to transport the cars. I know I need a cdl license.
 
All the Auto/Heavy load transport hot shot guys I have seen drive Dodge ram's with the cummins in it

The fords have TONS of issues. I would skip them

Dave
 
Originally Posted by GMguy84
All the Auto/Heavy load transport hot shot guys I have seen drive Dodge ram's with the cummins in it

The fords have TONS of issues. I would skip them

Dave

Because they are far cheaper to buy initially.
 
Originally Posted by dogememe
Originally Posted by GMguy84
All the Auto/Heavy load transport hot shot guys I have seen drive Dodge ram's with the cummins in it

The fords have TONS of issues. I would skip them

Dave

Because they are far cheaper to buy initially.



Bingo !!

That's why they're #1 in sales, cause of price/volume NOT quality
grin2.gif
lol


And that's what the fleet guys look at. They lease FURDS for 3-5 years all warranty/servic done by dealer and then lease over BYE BYE to dealer auction.

At same time I see fleets with GM trucks 10+ years old still in use !! HECK I saw a Texas highway dept '00-07 1500 Silverado other day doing highway service. That truck has to be AT LEAST 13+ years old already !!


Dave
 
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So when I was looking for a truck to tow a heavy 5th wheel toy hauler. I looked at all three makes. The GM wasn't rated to tow the weight I would be towing (that has since changed with the '20 GM Dually). So a couple years ago it was between the Ford and RAM. I've owned both in the past, and they both have potential issues. In the end I liked the RAM better. I felt it drove better, had a nicer interior, and the Cummins had a better track record than the 'Scorpion' engine. So far no issues with any part of the truck, and pretty much all it does is tow.

I also considered an MDT or HDT. But having owned those in a prior business, they are miserable to drive in comparison.
 
You can get into a 2WD,single cab stripped Ram in the $50K range that has all the big haul prep packages. This is probably much cheaper than a Ford or GM that will haul the same weight.
 
Can you just go right for top shelf jobs if you are new to the biz? I would bet there's a lot of competition for this type of work.

You should be able to bid your services on a site like uship.com which could help you build a network of referrals.
 
Originally Posted by sloinker
You can get into a 2WD,single cab stripped Ram in the $50K range that has all the big haul prep packages. This is probably much cheaper than a Ford or GM that will haul the same weight.


THIS ^^^
 
Originally Posted by Rohan
Which hd truck is good if I don't have money to buy the new one at this moment. I need a truck that can haul 30k/lb. Thinking about doing transportation business. Anyone know how I can start into this. Do I just go to the dealerships about service they need to transport the cars. I know I need a cdl license.


At the moment i would think it would be easy to get a new one.. interest rates should be in your favor. For $39K you can buy a new Dodge 5500

https://www.lynchtruckcenter.com/2019-ram-5500-vs-2019-chevrolet-silverado-5500/

If you are serious i would just get a new one and lease it to your company and write off as much as you can...


My brother in law does car hauling for a living. He does auto auctions, small and large dealerships, and police work.
 
Originally Posted by Reddy45
Can you just go right for top shelf jobs if you are new to the biz? I would bet there's a lot of competition for this type of work.

You should be able to bid your services on a site like uship.com which could help you build a network of referrals.


Hot shotting is an extremely competitive business. I like the suggestion of doing Uships, etx to see if there is money to be made. Your rig will have huge miles in just a year, and in many cases will depreciate much more than the potential profit.

Love the idea of someone being self employed.... just suggest one look at all data, no easy money in hot shotting unless one gets a special contract, which is very rare.
 
Okay I will just look into Dodge Ram hd. I did checked out uship before I came here. That's where I was going to do my business there and also pass out my business card to all of the local dealership whenever I have everything in order.
 
Originally Posted by GMguy84
Originally Posted by dogememe
Originally Posted by GMguy84
All the Auto/Heavy load transport hot shot guys I have seen drive Dodge ram's with the cummins in it

The fords have TONS of issues. I would skip them

Dave

Because they are far cheaper to buy initially.



Bingo !!

That's why they're #1 in sales, cause of price/volume NOT quality
grin2.gif
lol


And that's what the fleet guys look at. They lease FURDS for 3-5 years all warranty/servic done by dealer and then lease over BYE BYE to dealer auction.

At same time I see fleets with GM trucks 10+ years old still in use !! HECK I saw a Texas highway dept '00-07 1500 Silverado other day doing highway service. That truck has to be AT LEAST 13+ years old already !!


Dave



As a GM employee with an open mind I can tell you the RAM trucks have it all over the competition in my opinion. I own a Sierra Denali and a RAM Limited - no comparison. The RAM has better interior, better overall quality, more features and looks better. The Denali wins with the 6.0 motor though but the HEMI is close and better than the 5.3's. I tried to by a new GMC but had to go RAM and no regrets. For the record, I do own more GM's then not lol.
 
Dealerships are doing all they can right now to survive, shipping cars around will not be profitable for a while. You need a business plan, go to your local SBA and talk to a mentor. I have owned my own business twice now, one was very successful the other was a money pit. Hotshotting is a money pit.
 
I am biased towards Ram. I am impressed with the Cummins and aisin combo but if I towed more frequently or commercially, I would have a dually with 3.73 or 4.10 gears.

Also, you see far too many people trying to hotshot driving a loaded platinum or whatever highest trim level truck they can get. Not smart.
 
I'm a si.mechanic at UPS and know a little about the transportation industry from taking to truck drivers. Your getting into HOT SHOT trucking and it's cutthroat. You'll compete against others who will keep reverse bidding the price down until there is barley a profit if you win the haul. And if your out on the road and a transmission blows up, will you have $4K to get it repaired
 
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