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FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU ACTUALLY NEED
For a person buying a semi and trailer it&#;s important to know what you need and invest accordingly. &#;We try to represent our trucks with the best history we can. The main thing we tell people is to not overbuy or under-buy; just get what you need. There are some good, solid trucks that are cheaper than what a person might be trying to do with a pickup. Some inexperienced guys seem to overbuy and get themselves in trouble. Then we get the truck back and resell it. It&#;s important to match the truck to their needs,&#; Miller said.
Carpenter suggested looking around before buying a truck. &#;Nearly every town has somebody that does custom hauling and you can see what they are using, and talk to them, and see if they would help you get some experience for whatever application you are wanting to use the truck for,&#; he said.
Many farmers and ranchers today are buying their own semi-trucks and trailers, to haul hay, grain and livestock. Before making the big purchase, they will want to consider some key points.
Bruce Carpenter, a trucker based in Gooding, Idaho, has driven many kinds of trucks, hauling all kinds of loads (in all lower 48 states) for the past 30 years, including several years hauling water, drill steel and other supplies for the oil industry in North Dakota. Regarding weight and capacity for a farm truck, he says it all depends on what state you are in, the weight limits, and criteria that qualify it as a farm truck (without the driver needing to have a commercial driver&#;s license or CDL).
&#;All the states are different; find out what is required in your state. It depends on whether you are hauling to and from your farm within a short distance. If you haul across state lines you must have a log book, and weight limits are different,&#; Carpenter said.
There are weight limits in each state for what constitutes a farm truck, according to Jerry Miller, sales manager at 18-Wheeler Truck and Trailer in Rapid City, S.D. &#;We recommend buying an annual overweight permit and most farmers do. That&#;s a one-time fee of $60, so if they happen to have a load sometime that&#;s over the weight limit they would be OK,&#; Miller said.
If hauling within the state, a CDL isn&#;t needed. &#;They can haul within a 150-mile radius but need to be familiar with the regulations of the state they live in. Many farmers and ranchers have found that they can use their own trucks as a tool to save money and make money; if you hire it done it costs $4 to $6 a mile to haul hay. It doesn&#;t take very many loads to make it cheaper to own your own truck and trailer,&#; Miller said.
&#;In many states, if you are hauling something for your own farm, your truck can be licensed for farm use,&#; Carpenter said. &#;In Idaho, for instance, I am hauling milk and we don&#;t need a log book because we are not going over the distance limit. If a person starts doing commercial hauling, they must have a CDL, medical certificate, etc.&#; For a truck that is only hauling your own hay, grain, livestock, etc. there are farm exemptions.
MILEAGE CONSIDERATIONS
Different trucks vary in mileage they get, depending on the speed, load and gear for doing the job. &#;Mileage you get will also depend on whether you are pulling one long trailer, two trailers or three trailers. Today you&#;d probably be looking at something with at least 500 horsepower, and then you can haul just about anything (hay, grain, cattle, farm machinery, etc.),&#; Carpenter said.
Many people choose used trucks, to save money. &#;This is often your best bet &#; finding a good used truck rather than spending $130,000 for a new one. When you buy a new truck you also have to pay excise tax to the federal government, which is around $20,000. You don&#;t have to pay that on a used truck,&#; Carpenter said.
&#;There are many used trucks available with automatic transmissions but these are not as good for farm hauling. I saw a couple guys in North Dakota hauling water and in the wintertime those trucks were a nightmare. They couldn&#;t go anywhere on the icy roads; they couldn&#;t get up the hills,&#; he said. On a farm or ranch you may be hauling on bad roads and rugged terrain and you want a truck that can handle those conditions, and an automatic transmission won&#;t handle it, he said.
His favorite all-purpose truck is a Kenworth T800. &#;Those are the best; when we were hauling water in North Dakota in bad conditions, those trucks held up better than anything. Some of the other trucks work well, too, like Peterbilts. The Kenworth T800 holds its value better than any other truck, as far as used trucks go,&#; Carpenter said.
Miller said most ranchers in his area are buying either Day Cab Trucks (with an engine forward of the cab, with a conventional hood configuration &#; without a sleeper berth) or cheaper tandem-axle trucks. &#;Some of the larger farmers want pusher-axle trucks so they can haul as much weight as possible,&#; he said.
The big trucks vary in what kind of mileage they get because most farm trucks are pulling heavy loads. &#;It varies between 4.5 and 6 miles per gallon, depending on the load, and whether they have very many hills to climb,&#; he said.
&#;A lot of farmers and ranchers only put 10,000 to 20,000 miles on a truck each year. These may be rugged miles, but it&#;s not a lot of miles.&#; The farm equipment isn&#;t going thousands of miles and will hold up a long time if you take care of it.
MAINTENANCE
&#;A semi will take more maintenance than a pickup; you don&#;t want to neglect anything,&#; Carpenter said. &#;It has to be running properly, because periodically you will be checked on the highway, no matter what kind of plates (farm tags) you have, and if things aren&#;t up to par and there are any safety issues, you will get a ticket and that truck will get parked. It can&#;t move again until it is repaired,&#; he said.
Miller said maintenance is very important for any of the big trucks. &#;They will usually go 10,000 to 12,000 miles between oil changes, and it&#;s important to keep up on maintenance whether they are new or used. In winter most people use blended fuel so they will start in cold weather and won&#;t freeze up. They need to be plugged in or put in the shop,&#; he said.
TRAILERS
There are many options in trailers, and your choice may depend on what you haul &#; whether cattle, grain, hay, etc. &#; and the state&#;s weight limits. &#;Always check on those limits first. You can talk to your state government; find a DOT officer who will talk to you and answer your questions,&#; Carpenter said.
&#;Most ranchers in our area are buying ground-load trailers because these are very efficient and can be used in pasture situations,&#; Miller said. &#;These trailers can haul 28 to 30 cows, and with the ground load cattle can be loaded or unloaded anywhere. A lot of ranchers have permanent corrals in various places, or portable corrals. With the ground load they can load from any corral and unload in a pasture with no corral,&#; he said.
&#;For hauling grain they&#;d need a tandem or a triple-axle grain hopper. These usually have the same weight capacity; you can usually put 45,000 to 50,000 pounds of grain on these, and a hay trailer would be similar weight,&#; Miller said. There are several options in hay trailers.
&#;We are a Neville dealer and order a lot of those with a beavertail and three ramps, and we also do the ground-load livestock trailer. We use Travalong and Neville for ground-load livestock trailers and Neville step decks. They have a 5-foot beavertail and the advantage is that when you have three ramps you can put another tier of bales on the end of the trailer. When you put the three ramps down, you can also load a swather or a tractor and baler, a bobcat or any other machinery. We sell a lot of those trailers.&#;
&#;For the thrifty buyer, we can put a brand new beavertail on most used trailers. It only costs $5,000 to add that extra 5 feet. We buy some 48-foot step decks and have a welding shop that can put the beavertail on those. We have customers who want us to do that. This is a big selling point and this makes the trailer very handy,&#; Miller said. &#;
Every day, companies in every sector rely on commercial fleet vehicles to transfer employees, customers, and products from one location to another. This service ranges from your local oil and gas supplier to cross-country shipping services.
A company&#;s collection of business automobiles is known as its fleet, and they are frequently counted among the most expensive of its assets. Because of this, there is a demand for semi-trucks, which cooperate to control the entire lifespan of business vehicles.
The transportation of commodities across long ranges is the responsibility of the trucking sector, which is an essential component of the American economy. Transportation companies employ more than 3.5 million Americans, bringing about more than $700.0 billion annually. Semi-trucks employment is prevalent in the logistics of many companies because of their ability to move goods throughout the country.
When purchasing this asset, the cost is undeniably a key factor. But in any case, what does it cost to acquire a semi-truck? When you consider the expenses, benefits, and drawbacks of purchasing a new or used semi truck, you could discover that your dream is definitely within your reach.
A brand-new, shining semi-truck should generally fall between $100,000 and $200,000. Again, the pricing of these items changes based on your selected features.
The price of a brand-new semi-truck can vary widely depending on the model. A basic model of the fresh semi-truck can price anything between $40,000 to $120,000.
While you can purchase high-end versions for more than $200,000, Low-end models can cost around $99,000, while mid-market vehicles have an average price of about $150,000.
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One other thing to take into consideration is the down payment.
When purchasing a vehicle with an average price of $150,000, most financial institutions need a down payment of 15%.
A used semi would run you about $180,000 on average during its lifetime. Older versions sell for far less than half of what brand-new trucks do.
High: $180,000 and up
Mid: $100,000
Low: $35,000
The price of a basic setup might increase by $50,000 due to the addition of a brand-new trailer. For instance, the cost of custom-made trailers for eighteen-wheelers or lengthy combos is significantly higher than regular trailers.
After researching and finding the perfect semi-truck, the next step is how you acquire ownership, depending on your payment type. But worry not; we&#;ve got you covered; here&#;s the payment guide.
Using this method of financing, the buyer will eventually become the vehicle&#;s owner. Most financial institutions require a down payment before giving a loan. Truck drivers who cannot pay in cash for the semi-truck can obtain funds for their purchase. Businesses interested in purchasing a semi-truck frequently look into available funding sources. When you loan a car, you take a loan from a financial institution or another lender to reimburse the automobile.
The repayment period for the loan is usually between 3 and 7 years, and the monthly installments are typically cheaper than those associated with leasing a truck.
TIP- The disadvantage of the available financing choices is that the interest rates may be pretty hefty. In addition, the amount of the purchase cost not covered by the financing you obtain may necessitate a significant down payment from you.
You don&#;t take ownership of the vehicle, just like with renting. Leasing is a good choice for demands that will persist for a long time. The length of the contract can range from 3 to 5 years, and the installments are more affordable than conventional financing.
There is never a need for a down payment while renting. The rental business is responsible for all necessary maintenance and repairs. When considering options for a period that is less than a year, renting can be a good choice.
We&#;ve compiled a list to help you with your investment. Here are a few things you should consider before buying a semi-truck.
The first thing you as a buyer needs to do becomes familiar with their requirements. Think about the many kinds of cargo you wish to transport, and determine what the very minimum requirements are for your business. If this is the case, you shouldn&#;t even bother looking for trucks that don&#;t satisfy those requirements.
After ensuring that you have satisfied the minimum requirements for your haul, it is essential to be realistic with yourself. Do you have any particular preferences? You must be aware of the features that are &#;must-haves&#; for you personally, even though there is a possibility that you will have to give up some parts to save money.
When you are in the market for your first semi-truck, one of the most critical choices you will have to make is whether you want to purchase a new or a used truck. When deciding whether to buy new or used, some factors to consider are how much money you already have saved, how much finances you can manage to pay every month and the amount of risk you are prepared to take on with future repairs.
First Hand However, the truck&#;s price will likely be more upfront, and its worth will drop significantly after regular use. You are the vehicle&#;s original owner. Hence you are familiar with its preceding owners. Before you decide whether to buy the truck, the vendor will provide you with in-depth information about the car. Additionally, newer trucks won&#;t need significant replacements or maintenance for quite some time after purchase.
Compared to the cost of a brand-new truck, the initial investment for a used semi-truck will be lower, and the subsequent monthly payments will likely be lower. On the other hand, a used vehicle may need some repairs sooner, and the warranty typically runs out sooner and doesn&#;t cover as many of the vehicle&#;s components. If you are planning to purchase a used item, you should ensure that you get an extended warranty from your seller so that there are no surprises later on. In addition, we suggest going with a pre-owned vehicle that has been through the certification process.
Which of these two options is better for your driving demands and personal preferences will significantly affect your decision.
How to Make the Most of your Semi Truck with Matrack Truck Tracking Solutions?
After buying your semi-truck, you can accessorize it to make it the most efficient. Here, Matrack comes into play by bringing you an overall fleet solution from dashcams to ELD.
Matrack Fleet Management offers GPS fleet management systems to the trucking industry. The company&#;s mission is to give customers cutting-edge technology at the most affordable price possible, supported by world-class customer service.
Matrack can assist you in maintaining the functionality of your fleet, providing accurate ETAs, and monitoring your workers and assets. It boosts fleet visibility while also giving you access to the real-time tracking information.
Real-time tow alerts, ignition on/off warnings, low battery alerts, speed alerts, and other alerts allow you to maintain continual contact with your vehicle or asset at all times. In the case of theft, make a speedy recovery.
Products Include
This device is an excellent method for tracking any car made after , as this device requires no installation. It starts in less than ten seconds just by plugging it in.
A hardwired gadget is undetectable, impervious to water and tampering, and powered by the battery of the vehicle or asset.
Some of the trailer trackers include-
-MA-Asset Classic GPS Trailer Tracker.
-MA-Hardwire Classic GPS Trailer Tracker.
-MA-Hardwire Silver G.P.S. Trailer Tracker
The Matrack Dashcam is a camera with artificial intelligence that can help you enhance your driving safety and avoid potential collisions. The camera is a dual-facing lens that can record videos inside the cab and while the vehicle is moving. It provides high-definition footage at a resolution of p, allowing you to record every aspect without missing anything that could be vital evidence.
In addition to those capabilities, Matrack also comes equipped with a frontal collision warning, lane departure warning, and DUI. Alerts.
Most factoring providers make payments in two installments: the first payment covers most of the receivables and satisfies your need for immediate cash flow; the second payment is when your client pays their bill.
After assessing whether or not the applicant is eligible, the factoring company will buy the unpaid invoices for a percentage of their total value and then handle the debt collection process. After successfully collecting the total amount of the invoices from your customers, the factoring service provider will pay back the remaining balance owed to your company for the invoices.
With Matrack&#;s Fuel card, you are eligible for a 1.5% discount on early payments and a 60-day grace period with no interest. You will also receive assistance locating credits, refunds, waivers for your fleet, and many other benefits. The tracker will also notify you in real time about potential scams.
Were you looking for an ELD solution that won&#;t break the bank on the market? You are taken care of by Matrack ELD. You can receive free gear if you pay a small monthly subscription fee (currently $14.95). You will not be required to pay any initial costs associated with the gadget. That way, you can put your worries about how this might influence your finances to rest because it won&#;t.
There is no additional cost for having a co-driver, which is another practical aspect of this service. You can use the same one to alter the driver profile and settings.
Because it is a plug-and-play installation that requires no configuration, you may set up the device on your own in less than five minutes using this method. It is suitable for light, heavy, and medium-sized trucks and buses.
Just download the mobile app from either the Play Store or the App Store. It can assist you in automating various processes, including HoS, eDVIR, IFTA, and many others.
The drivers can begin or end their day, modify their duty status, amend, review, or submit their working logs using the same system. The easy dashboard provides all fleet managers with access to the same information.
Get the whole experience by booking a Demo TODAY!
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Custom Semi Trailers.