Kenworth Vs Peterbilt

I’m planning on getting a truck. I’ve had my cdl for 7 years but only drove for three in the oilfield. I have very little experience with trucks and almost zero when it comes to repairs and maintenance. I plan on simply buying the truck and having someone else drive it. Reliability wise, what would you all recommend? I used to drive a Peterbilt back in the oilfield and it drove like a champ. Got a chance to drive a Volvo and was very impressed but I’ve heard repairs can be expensive. Based on what I’ve read online, I’m between Peterbilt or Kenworth and would love to hear what you all think and recommend. Thanks in advance

I have very little experience with trucks and almost zero when it comes to repairs and maintenance. I plan on simply buying the truck and having someone else drive it. Reliability wise, what would you all recommend?

i recommend you not buy a truck. You have zero experience and knowledge and will only be able to afford a driver wlth zero experience...which means you will have lots of collision deductibles and the driver wont recognize needed repairs which will then augment to costly bills.

Its just crazy. Sorta like saying, "I have never even screwed a nail to a board before but im going to build me a house from the foundation up. i know nothing of cement, plumbing or wiring, but once it is finished, i will trust my tenants to let me know what goes wrong. Hopefully it wont catch on fire due to faulty electrical work."

Fausto please read this:

Confessions of an Owner Operator

I’m sorry, I should have mentioned I plan on leasing it with a company who will run it for me. I work in the transportation business as well so I have experience in that just not on trucks. Hope that makes sense

I have very little experience with trucks and almost zero when it comes to repairs and maintenance. I plan on simply buying the truck and having someone else drive it. Reliability wise, what would you all recommend?

i recommend you not buy a truck. You have zero experience and knowledge and will only be able to afford a driver wlth zero experience...which means you will have lots of collision deductibles and the driver wont recognize needed repairs which will then augment to costly bills.

Its just crazy. Sorta like saying, "I have never even screwed a nail to a board before but im going to build me a house from the foundation up. i know nothing of cement, plumbing or wiring, but once it is finished, i will trust my tenants to let me know what goes wrong. Hopefully it wont catch on fire due to faulty electrical work."

I’m sorry, I should have mentioned I plan on leasing it with a company who will run it for me. I work in the transportation business as well so I have experience in that just not on trucks. Hope that makes sense

it makes sense if you're looking to add a lot of complexity and risk to your life with little or no chance of additional profit. Otherwise I can't make any sense of it.

The trucking industry averages about a 3% - 4% profit margin. If you're going to have someone else manage the truck for you, you're going to be paying them for that. Where is your profit going to come from?

If I were you I would look at the business model of the company that's going to find the freight for you. They're the ones that are going to turn a profit while moving all of the risk onto you. They're basically going to be a freight broker. They'll take their cut of profits off the top, give you what's left over, and let you do all of the work and take all of the risk.

Think about it - if they need more trucks, why don't they just buy or lease more trucks and hire their own drivers? They're a business looking to turn a profit. There's a reason why they've selected the parts of the business they want to run and are asking you to run the parts they want you to run. Figure out why that is and you'll be onto something.

Oh boy!!! Well I’ll answer your question first... Both choices can be a good one, depending on what your going to do with the truck. I’m biased I love my Pete, just my personal preference... What your describing is gonna be a headache for you. I have a buddy kinda doing what your talking about and all I hear is “I can’t find good drivers”. He has 6 trucks and right now 2 are parked and he is back to driving a 3rd one just to keep revenue flowing. He is very picky on who he hires because he doesn’t want his equipment torn up. Just food for thought.

I appreciate all the feedback. Thanks

Here's a personal example that might help with your decision. I have a niece in Atlanta, GA who works for a company that coordinates inbound freight coming from overseas on shipping containers. She saw all that money being paid out to the owner/operators and decided she could make some really good money if she bought a truck or two of her own. After all, she had the power to book herself as many loads as she could handle.

She kept her job, bought two used day cabs and hired a few drivers. She only had a partial knowledge of what she was getting into, sort of like you. This is a really smart young lady - she bailed out very quickly. She had no idea of all the unexpected expenses. She learned very quickly that there was precious little money to be made, but plenty of demands for all that cash flow.

Oh boy!!! Well I’ll answer your question first... Both choices can be a good one, depending on what your going to do with the truck. I’m biased I love my Pete, just my personal preference... What your describing is gonna be a headache for you. I have a buddy kinda doing what your talking about and all I hear is “I can’t find good drivers”. He has 6 trucks and right now 2 are parked and he is back to driving a 3rd one just to keep revenue flowing. He is very picky on who he hires because he doesn’t want his equipment torn up. Just food for thought.

And the company has to approve the drivers. My friend at Fedex is in the same boat. She cant find drivers that stay or that Fedex will approve. I got approved but dont want to leave Prime. So what happens when someone quits or has a family emergency? FMLA covers them to keep their job so you wouldnhave to hire a temp to drive the truck until the first one returns...omg madness.

Both KW and Petes are under the PACCAR banner. It's much like Ford/Mercury, or Dodge/Plymouth. Never, ever lease. It's a bottomless black hole that only benefits the company. The word "lease" should be spelled "rent", because that's what it is. Leasing is very much like those that get suckered into the Time Share scam.