Very informative. Actually even when technology has evolved to such big mess, the basics of trucks remain the same. You still need to check the same things on new ones as you did on yours. For me its a video to be saved for future reference. Thank you Brian
Being a mechanic I can say with these older trucks the main thing to look for is like you said, Frame damage (rust) and the major oil/coolant leaks. Motor and components are important, but those things can be rebuilt and ready to go another Million Miles no problem. But a rotted frame, that could cost you more than you think, that could cost you your life. You dont want your frame coming apart hauling 70K pounds going 70mph down the road.
Very interesting too see this. I am a truckdriver from Europe and we have such different trucks compared to yours. I wish we had that much space in the cabin and not to mention how much safer your trucks are in a front collision...
kenworth cabs are extremely narrow, I'm 6'5 and i can't fit into them, my foot is wedged under the clutch and i have to kinda jump out of my seat and get my foot on the clutch, plus going into the sleeper can be a bitch you got roughly 12 inches of space between the seats to get into the back
See what aerodynamic parts you can find for the truck. Pushing flat chrome through the wind robs mpg. After buying see what synthetic engine and driveline oils you can replace to increase mpg and low rolling resistance tires when replacement time comes around. Every mpg savings is money in your pocket every month.
😂😂people that buys those trucks definitely ain't worrying about mpg, they already making money and not worrying about it, like he said,aerodynamic new trucks are junk 😄
I've been following yall for about a year now. Last month I made the decision and enrolled in a good CDL school. I graduate next friday and I'm so excited to start this next chapter of my life! I really appreciate your, and the teams, input and honesty.
Thanks for the tips, I’ve been looking for a W900 or 379 Pete I’m definitely gonna keep this in mind on my search. 💯 Keep your wheels spinning and the beavers grinning brother much love from West TX🤘🏾🤠
I remember the last video you said the newer trucks at ET transport are getting 8.5 miles a gallon. But what you have not mentioned that they’re probably spending seven $8000 per year for the DEF. That’s additional expense and maintenance headache to go along with the newer trucks.
About 150mpg on the DEF here, running local. That's about 3.5 gallons a day. Times 3.099 most places. That's $10.85 a day. Times 300 days since nobody runs 6 days a week all 52 weeks. That's $3,255 a year.
@@mainSPECdestro Yeah I wasn't correcting you, just elaborating. 2500-4500 depending how you run. Nowhere near $8,000 but still something to keep in mind for the bottom line. The def itself hasn't broken me yet. The emissions system hardware...well we'll see. 😂
thanks for the knowledge. gotta love the simplicity to the old school stuff. The most appealing to me is that i can fix it myself on road if i need to. unlike my companies freightliner today. 😂
Awesome video. I’m actually in the market for one of these trucks as we speak. Luckily I was a mechanic for 7 years so I can spot some things but I never worked on diesels so I respect vids like this a lot and I’m definitely saving it. Thanks man.
The only problem with running older trucks its where you can go and who will let you lease on with them. Lot of companies have a year cut off for truck coming onto the fleet, so it does limit who you can run with/for people need to keep that in mind as well. Then you also can't go to certain states in the U.S. and before long you wont be allowed in ontario Canada.
Great video Brian. Old trucks have a certain soul, which new trucks just don't have. I must admit I love my automatic volvo, having said that, that there was a great pleasure in changing a constant mesh gearbox and getting the change just right, I'm afraid all that's lost in the annals of time now. Hope your ninety day challenge in the casscadia goes well, not holding my breath though!! :).
So refreshing to see people who take pride in what they do. So many crazy ass drivers out here it is scary. So good ones left but def coming fewer and fewer. Thanks i did learn something too. Keep up the great work.
I'm not a diesel mechanic, but I am a car mechanic. In my opinion, they will never figure out a way to make all the emissions crap on a semi reliable. Why? An engine is a mechanical device that burns and emits fuel. The most efficient way to do that is to have the least amount of restrictions in the intake, in the engine itself, and the exhaust. Emissions equipment are restrictions. Everything you add is at odds with how an internal combustion engine works, therefore the 2 are always battling each other causing constant damage. It's a band-aid on a problem that can only be solved by technology we don't have.
Hi here in the UK most trucks are under 15 years old. all are trucks here since 2007 have the DPF OR AD blue as we call it here. with are air pollution controls are much harder here , but we don't get as many problems with are DPF systems here as you guys do.
Yeah I don't get why they have so much trouble. Perhaps their mechanics just don't understand them or low weights (in the US) sitting on a long straight road all day means the engine isn't working hard enough? I've not seen half the trouble with Swedish or Australian built Volvos Perhaps its the US built ones that are junk?
Yes the oil leak between the head ,timing cover & block can be easy to fix or expensive $$$, cam to head o ring, timing cover to block or o ring to head to block $$$
Hi, all. i used to own 2 trucks, mack and COE F-liner (cummins). CHECK THESE , in anything, with wheels. 1. Starter 2. Alternator 3. Water pump 4. Air compressor 5. Get a lab check, done on engine oil, tranny and differential oils. 6. Clutch, check for wear, and also clutch brake. 7. Radiator, and thermostat/thermostatic fan. 8. Cab heater core 9. Engine coolant, and maybe get the lab, to check it. 10. Batteries, check for sulphate buildup ( Load tests, with amp meter). As well as the battery box, '' what are they sitting on ''. Loose gravel ? Take care, all.
Nice video!! This is exactly what I'm looking for. I'm starting my CDL school soon and my goal is to make experience for 1 year and buy a nice pre emissions truck. I hope your challenge will be great and I can wait to see which truck you'll choose after this 🔥
I always chuckle to myself when I see some ancient gas guzzling truck with the aerodynamics of a brick driving down the road. But the truth is, the less there is, the less there is to break. However, the jury is in if you're a full time OTR driver, buy brand new, drive the nuts off it for 5 years, trade it in and buy another one.
Time and time again, the biggest cost is driving habits. Big gas guzzler average MPG is 7.3mpg. I've driven 2021's, 2020,s 2017's & 2018's T680's & Cascadia's. Junk trucks for huge fleets, not 20 year useage for an owner operator. Mileage is also dictated by freight. I bet you swing doors? Jump on over to open deck work and see how your MPG does.
@@haroldenglish943 The load you pull is a huge part of MPG for sure. If you're pulling logs out of the bush, or a flat deck with a bulldozer on top of it, the aerodynamics of a shiny new Volvo doesn't really matter haha. But if you're only doing single trailers, pavement to pavement, aerodynamics and efficiency becomes a dominate factor. Its all about the right tool for the job.
@@haroldenglish943 Time spent on the highway is also a big factor. If you spend %90 of your time above 90 km/h, you'd absolutely want something new and slick. But if most of your time is spent below 60 km/h's, or on gravel roads, then that changes the decision making into something more rugged.
That was a great video, you made some good points. You mentioned the 60 Series likes to “slobber” oil a little bit. That’s ok, after running some old 8V-71’s & 6-71’s a long time ago, the 60 Series is a breath of fresh air in the Detroit Diesel line up. Even remember an old boy that had a 12V71 in a early 1970’s C/O Pete, & it pretty much looked like a locomotive going down the road once in a while with the smoking & slobbering, but damn did it have the power!
Great channel 👏. Brian is great. This guy definitely has a future in video once he's out of the truck. I just sold my 07 379 that I did a lot of things wrong with. Wish I would have seen your channel beforehand. Just got into a 19 389 & did everything right. Learn from your mistakes 💯. As a car hauler I'm stuck in hood trucks & I've got to say. First take out your arm rest on both seats & get the seat plate to move the seat back. Old school trucks ride like a dream but really lack for creature comforts.
Few years ago, when I was crossing the border into US, I was asked by CPB Officer : Why I am driving a Volvo 780 and not a Peterbilt or a Kenworth ..... I answered that: I am driving a ...Limo.... No other ...comments! Thank you , ET Transport!
What I love about older tractors is they all sort of have there own personality. You inspect that tractor run it up the road under a load and after a month or so you will start too notice corks or things and honestly my money is always on the older pre emission tractor any day. It ain’t runnin unless your rattlin....
i got a 1995 freightliner fld 120 with 60 series detroit and 10 speed. best truck ever. never put me on side of road as long as u maintain it when you home and take care of it. cheap parts and looks good. i also get about 6 mpg loaded with 48 ft flatbdd
You should start your own youtube channel would be cool getting to know you. Take us on some adventures in canada. You fish, hunt. Ever hear of thee show meat eater? Love that show. Or trucking stories.
Hey can you guys do one with a Peterbilt 379 too please. I know you have the red one if that drivers comfortable do you think you can make a video on it?
I have a 2016 cascadia glider kit with 60 series 13 speed. It is simply a money maker that just keeps on running. So cheap to fix and rarely ever needs any fixing
I get 9.7mpg on my 2019 cascadia. Although I drop off my truck at the dealership just about every time before I come home for home time, my truck helps me become friends with people at the dealership. After 2 years owning my cascadia (never had any issues in the first 2 years) one sensor after another goes bad and I go to the dealership religiously to keep me running. I am wondering if the truck is worth keeping after my 5 year warranty expires. If anybody says no to that, the new cascadia is not worth buying if you can't keep it for over 5 years, too expensive to buy new, and too expensive to keep after 5 years == piece of junk.
Me myself like the older trucks even though I don’t have a truck but just as a kid those type of trucks going down the road looked so amazing and I want to own one myselfthanks for all the information you give
Good video Bud. Series 60 Detroit what can you say, one reliable economical motor and easy to work on. They screwed up the trucks with these bullshit emissions.
Great video, very influential unfortunately as a driver owner operator I live and work in California, and it has the most stringent rules when it comes to diesel engines and semi trucks and by the way I have had nothing but problems with my trucks since having been forced to buy trucks with computer motors, previous trucks I've owned always had catapillar engines that were manual, with analog gauges that were straight forward and simple to work on, my 359 peterbilt was nice my 379 was nice also all catapillar the started with my 389 peterbilts 2008 sensors fault codes, which mechanics didn't understand engines ran great but the sensors were constantly sending false information just one headache after another, then finally somebody figured it out no sooner than we got the bugs out of the way the state said I gotta buy a new truck with a 2010 engine or newer so now I got a 2013 peterbilt 389 I know it's older but who's gonna pay 250,000 to 300,000 for a truck thats how much it would cost to spec the same truck today identically....
Megas do get rid of their new trucks and replace them before the warranty run out. This is the precise reason why most single truck OO leased onto a carrier cannot keep up with this type business model and go out of business. You're giving up your profit margin to the carrier be it 35/65 split, or 20/80 revenue split. You have to know how to run your truck with your own authority and keep 100% of your revenue to be able to replace your truck before the warranty run out. You run under Landstar, JBHunt, Schneider, its 35/65 revenue split, this means they take $105,000 from you after you gross $300,000 for the year. If you didn't share that with the carrier, you can easily buy a new truck every 4 years and have leftover for your retirement. If you can't figure out how to run with your own authority, you will end up making more money flipping burgers at Macdonald's. They are hiring at $15/hour
Can you guys make a video on your thoughts on double clutching vs floating gears especially for someone just getting into the industry please Not sure if this would be something worth to make a video on for everyone else
Floating gears is better the clutch but it means you know the truck so well you don’t need the clutch you grind the hell out of them learning if you don’t have it down pat
Dude thank you very much for doing this video I want to sell my 2015 579 peterbilt that I bought for 21000 and buy a 1999 peterbilt with a d 12 engine. I plan on having that truck till the day I die and investing 25% of my money year over year ( with my own loads and money) into that truck. I am coming up to my 30 so here is to 30 or 40 years of trucking = )
Hey driver you should carry a small puddy spackle knife and scrape all that old dirty grease out of the jaws on 5th wheel and side of the plate and keep grease to minimum to avoid issue w 5th wheel not coupling properly it works its way down into internal components and hardens in cold temperature
Can’t wait to get the ole girl on the road this summer, but before the Cab Over is rolling that A/C is going to have to be working 😅 When this Big Cam goes out she is getting a Series 60!
Brian, I can understand that you want a truck more comfortable for you, but that doesn't mean you can't find another pre emission truck that fits you better. I would definitely want to stay with the older machinery.
@@wheelburnerexpress okay, you're right, I assumed Ronen had talked you into a new truck, sorry about that. Are you just testing it out, maybe in the future buying , or leasing one? Ill tell you what, I drive a 2018 Cascadia, with an APU, it really is a comfortable, nice truck to drive, and yes it's gets amazing fuel milage. And with over 300 thousand miles on it, it hasn't had any serious break downs. Good luck.
@@wheelburnerexpress hey Brian, I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but have you thought about a glider? You get a new, comfortable truck with an older engine. No sensors or electronic logs. Just thinking?
Nice nice truck. It hurts me that you’re getting rid of it. Do you have any pictures or can you do another video of what it looks like from the inside?
I have a 99 W 900 with 86” studio sleeper 1MM 600hp Cat pushing 650hp just put a new performance head on her built new 18 over she weighs 24,000 will pull left front off the ground in the higher gears smoke drives. I don’t drive her that way she works specialized oil and gas moving equipment doing set up and tear down.
how old of a truck is to old? 1980's? 1970's? can you still get all the parts you need to make that truck work for you? other that California is there any other states that you can't run that truck? There seem to be a good amount of old farm truck for sale now with low miles and a low price. Oh and do you get it inspected before you buy? Any thing you should run away from? Cracked frame? I have way to many questions sorry.
Wow what a great tutorial so I've been looking at a rig in order to pull my either fifth wheel or my custom starcraft custom 57 ft trailer so I was thinking about a HDT and definitely pre-emission pre-logged and like the 900s as well as the the long noses as well as the the Pete's but what you said is valuable information and I really appreciate that brother thank you so much be safe on the road love all your tutorials love your candidness great beard by the way I have a long one too and be safe on the road brother thank you again a great lesson as I'm sitting here at IHOP enjoying breakfast thank you again. Luigi- Fla TPA Bay
Great vedeo I'm not a Detroit fan but the true the S60 470hp is a great engine for economic if not passing a 42ton!! And not driving a step hills!! on my international 9800model I have a Detroit S60 470hp and I sold that truck after a 2.200.000kms without problems and I can't complain 👌👍 but I prefer a CAT 3408 843hp because after a year I save money on fuel if I pulled a 65ton!! so a reason I love a CAT engine 3408 is a best engine for pulling heavy loads 👏👏👏👌👍 if I use a Detroit S60 470hp this engine such much fuel and needs much more time for making a same trips!! For heavy loads the best ever engine is a CAT 3408 or a CAT C18 the others engines are crap 👎👎 that W900L I love that model is a similar like my pet 379👏👌👍👍 cheers from Norway
I am actually in the market for a W900 at the moment. I'm currently looking at a 2005 with 875,255 miles. What do you think I have to look for on that? How long till I need an overhaul? I know you can never tell. Depends on how well the truck was taken care of. I also have been looking at a 96. would like to have a pre-emision. Thanks for the vid, i loved it.
