Freightliner, Volvo, PB, KW Etc RELIABILITY

Hi everyone,

New to this site, hoping for some advice. I have been doing some research on this but have yet to find a solid answer. It seems the question of comparing trucks always gets back to comfort and body style. In my case, I don't mind crawling through my window if it will grow my business. I do not mind the rattling sound of the freightliner or anything along those lines.

Most important to me;

**Saving money, low costs (I do not mind paying a few thousand more initially, to avoid breakdown)** Engine Reliability (I wish to stay out of the shop as much as possible) AND Fuel Mileage

Which truck manufacturer would you recommend? I read a post earlier stating that they (Freightliner, Volvo, Kenworth, etc) are all the same and I should be looking for engine specs, not truck manufacturer. I plan on buying used with under 100k miles, warranty (4yr and 400k miles at least) included of course.

This site caters mainly to New Company Drivers. Check out ooida.com.

Regarding manufacturers, it all depends on what amenities you want in a truck as far as cabinets vs sliding curtains or nets, fridge, etc. You'll always get a million different answers in regards to who likes what brand and honestly, it's a moot point. What's more important is which manufacturer is going to hold the best resale value when the time comes and the top two positions are held by KW and Pete. You only have 4 engine manufacturers since Cat got out of the game back in 2013-14. Volvo, Detroit, Cummins and Paccar all have their perks and fans but in newer trucks, you'll see that Cummins pretty much dominates the market. My real question is why are you looking at 1 year old, under 100k trucks? You won't be saving any real money from depreciation (not to mention being hard to find) and what little you would save in depreciation is going to get sucked up by adding on an extended warranty. Personally, if your heart is set on buying your own truck, drive for a while first and really get to know the industry before making that large of a purchase. Being that new, you really aren't going to run into too many problems off the bat that wouldn't be covered under the warranty but it'll still cost you down time while the truck payment is still due.

Don't most volvos have the. Mercedes Enige in them well mine dose D-13 great pull power poor fuel mileage

Regarding manufacturers, it all depends on what amenities you want in a truck as far as cabinets vs sliding curtains or nets, fridge, etc. You'll always get a million different answers in regards to who likes what brand and honestly, it's a moot point. What's more important is which manufacturer is going to hold the best resale value when the time comes and the top two positions are held by KW and Pete. You only have 4 engine manufacturers since Cat got out of the game back in 2013-14. Volvo, Detroit, Cummins and Paccar all have their perks and fans but in newer trucks, you'll see that Cummins pretty much dominates the market. My real question is why are you looking at 1 year old, under 100k trucks? You won't be saving any real money from depreciation (not to mention being hard to find) and what little you would save in depreciation is going to get sucked up by adding on an extended warranty. Personally, if your heart is set on buying your own truck, drive for a while first and really get to know the industry before making that large of a purchase. Being that new, you really aren't going to run into too many problems off the bat that wouldn't be covered under the warranty but it'll still cost you down time while the truck payment is still due.

Volvo uses a Volvo engine, at least the newer models do. Mercedes was more common in the Freightshaker (Freightliner is American Mercedes truck division). The Volvo engines are a pretty solid mill, they make good power and generally have excellent fuel mileage but in your case, it could depend on a lot of different things from maintenance to what and where you're hauling to your driving habits. They all reflect on fuel economy.

Hope I am repying correctly...Reason I was searching for under 100k and 1yr old was actually depreciation, you hit the nail on the head. I guess I thought I could potentially save $ by doing so. I also figured the warranty would be included, wouldn't it? I've been driving about 3 1/2 yrs...not super new but didn't think I earned the vet title yet so I went with rookie... seasoned rookie I guess. Resale value is good, I will definitely keep that in mind. Any engine specs I should be looking for? (for reliability) Heard freighliners break down all the time and PB / Volvo / KW dont. Also heard freighliners are cheaper to fix, is this true? Should I buy for the truck manufacturer or the engine manufacturer? I just need a reliable truck, nothing fancy. Thanks in advance!

Regarding manufacturers, it all depends on what amenities you want in a truck as far as cabinets vs sliding curtains or nets, fridge, etc. You'll always get a million different answers in regards to who likes what brand and honestly, it's a moot point. What's more important is which manufacturer is going to hold the best resale value when the time comes and the top two positions are held by KW and Pete. You only have 4 engine manufacturers since Cat got out of the game back in 2013-14. Volvo, Detroit, Cummins and Paccar all have their perks and fans but in newer trucks, you'll see that Cummins pretty much dominates the market. My real question is why are you looking at 1 year old, under 100k trucks? You won't be saving any real money from depreciation (not to mention being hard to find) and what little you would save in depreciation is going to get sucked up by adding on an extended warranty. Personally, if your heart is set on buying your own truck, drive for a while first and really get to know the industry before making that large of a purchase. Being that new, you really aren't going to run into too many problems off the bat that wouldn't be covered under the warranty but it'll still cost you down time while the truck payment is still due.

Thank you good sir!

This site caters mainly to New Company Drivers. Check out ooida.com.