Should I buy this truck?

[5030]

The day of the owner operator (single or a few trucks) operation is about gone. Been replaced by fleet owners (like my buddy) that own many units and hire drivers to operate them as employees.

I started out as an OO but ended up as a company driver, driving for an employer and not having to deal with all of the grief associated with being an OO. Weekly pay checks, good benefits and retirement far outweigh the 'joy of being an OO in my view.

Having said that, I do owm a Western Star long nose conventional with a 3406 Cat and an 18 speed as well as a 42 foot Timpte hopper bottom grain trailer and I do haul grain to the local evelators for local farners but it's more of a hobby than a job and I do it because I like to do it and not because I have to. Hard to get the smell of diesel smoke and the fun of running a big rig out of your karma when you do it for decades.

Just local stuff and while I hold a Class A CDL with all endorsements but Haz-Mat, I don't have a valid DOT physical as I don't need one to run Intrastate. Don't keep a log book either. Knowing the Federal DOT however, that will probably change as well.

 

[ultrarunner]

I’ve used Passport twice and very satisfactory but I had a car to pickup in Florida and Passport was weeks out for pickup…

The seller said they had a husband and wife team coming to pick up another car destination California so I asked if there was room for one more…

The husband and wife team was 40% less and happy to pickup a second car with similar destination…

 

[Rustyiron]

So if that Sterling is $20k I think you should.
I like the camo also. It'll partially match your IH and several other colors.

 

[Joel/ak]

Bigger heavier parts would make them heavier duty, too. I think the oil capacity on the 4000 is much greater. Also handles up to 800HP.

Actually, if you compare the size between a 3k and a 4k, oil capacity is about the same.

As 5030 said maintenance is everything. Most of the failures I have seen is cooler failures.

Early models had a C3 pressure switch that would fail. Allison has a recall out on it but that has ended.

Good looking truck though. I like the camouflage myself. It's different and stands out

 

[4570Man]

I see a lot of Volvo tractors…

.

After yellow freight closed down and auctioned their assets you can buy these Volvos cheap. And mine is 405 hp with jakes which is twice the power of most single axel trucks with DT 466s or c7 cats.

 

[mrmikey]

Front wheels are aluminum

Damn....they were at one time. :-(

 

[Joel/ak]

Sorry but I know Allison's. I can build all 6 lines they produce.

The 3k and 4k don't have an oil pan per say. If you have to pull the control mod "pan" for some reason, the valve body comes out with it. Be sure and unhook the harness from the block.pre gens have a whip harness and gen 4's have a short tower that the trucks harness plugs into. It will have a white tower in it, that's your oil level sending unit. They fail.

You can drain the oil but if you pul the control mod, it still holds about a gallon. Your gonna get dirty.

Easy transmissions to work on if you know what your doing.

 

[Hay Dude]

Sorry but I know Allison's. I can build all 6 lines they produce.

The 3k and 4k don't have an oil pan per say. If you have to pull the control mod "pan" for some reason, the valve body comes out with it. Be sure and unhook the harness from the block.pre gens have a whip harness and gen 4's have a short tower that the trucks harness plugs into. It will have a white tower in it, that's your oil level sending unit. They fail.

You can drain the oil but if you pul the control mod, it still holds about a gallon. Your gonna get dirty.

Easy transmissions to work on if you know what your doing.

From Allison website:

Power capacity:

“3000 Series™ transmissions can accommodate engines with power ratings ranging from 210 to 450 horsepower (157-336 kW) and torque capacities up to 1,250 lb-ft (1,695 N·m). These transmissions can support a GVW of 98,100 lbs. (44,500 kg).”

“The 4000 Series™ is ideal for heavy-duty vehicles that require substantial power and torque. It can accommodate engines with power ratings ranging from 380 to 800 horsepower (283-597 kW) and torque capacities up to 2,360 lb-ft (3,200 N·m).”

So the 4000 is clearly a heavier-duty automatic. It can handle almost twice as much horsepower and torque.

Fluid capacity:

In terms of fluid capacity, the 4000 series holds a LOT more fluid. Here’s the transmission fluid capacity of both:

Table 1, Lubricant Refill Capacities, Allison 3000 and 4000 Family Transmissions​

Lubricant Refill Capacities, Allison 3000 and 4000 Family Transmissions1
Family	Sump Size	Capacity : qt (L)
3000	4 Inch	19 (18)
2 Inch	17 (16)
4000	4 Inch	39 (37)
2 Inch	31 (30)23

1. Quantities listed are approximate. Add listed amount of fluid, then perform a "hot check" and add fluid as needed. Do not overfill.

So the 4000 series holds up to twice as much fluid as the 3000 series.

Theres a guy from my area with a 3000 series allison with 900,000 miles on it. Original. Changed the fluid one time.

 

[Hay Dude]

Damn....they were at one time. :-(

Bout the last Last thing I’m worried about in a truck is “pretty”. Now if its a woman, sure, I want pretty.
All I want is a truck that works and don’t cost a fortune.

I think those rims will polish-up

 

[Hay Dude]

After yellow freight closed down and auctioned their assets you can buy these Volvos cheap. And mine is 405 hp with jakes which is twice the power of most single axel trucks with DT 466s or c7 cats. View attachment 3492886

You overweight on your rear tractor axle?

 

[Hay Dude]

So if that Sterling is $20k I think you should.
I like the camo also. It'll partially match your IH and several other colors.

I think 6x4 with floaters & full lockers is enough traction. If it ain’t, prolly dont belong there, right?

 

[4570Man]

You overweight on your rear tractor axle?

I’ve never scaled it but that hoe is just like 27k so it should be alright.

 

[Hay Dude]

I’ve never scaled it but that hoe is just like 27k so it should be alright.

Huh, ok.
Looks like its got (or had) def/dpf?

 

[4570Man]

Huh, ok.
Looks like its got (or had) def/dpf?

It’s a 2019 truck that still uses def.

 

[5030]

The issue with buying ANY used truck or tractor is how the previous owner maintained it and if they actually took care of it or not. With no maintenance records, I presume there aren't any, you are buying a 'pig in a poke', with the potential of major repairs looming. It might come out smelling like a rose but it may come out smelling like a turd.

From the overall looks of it, I'm leaning towards the turd end. 20 grand isn't a lot but you could very well have 20 grand in repairs as well. JMO.

 

[5030]

I’ve used Passport twice and very satisfactory but I had a car to pickup in Florida and Passport was weeks out for pickup…

The seller said they had a husband and wife team coming to pick up another car destination California so I asked if there was room for one more…

The husband and wife team was 40% less and happy to pickup a second car with similar destination…

The issue with transporting classic vehicles is always the liability insurance.

BTW, Tom Lester, Lester Industries and Passport Transport was origionally based in Solon, Ohio and Tom's family started out in the pressure die cast metals business and Tom started Passport Transport because he was a classic car collector and wanted a company dedicated to hauling them world wide. I got to know Tom through the Crawford car museum. My employer at the time did work for them restoring vintage vehicles. I believe Reliable is Michigan based but I don't know much about them. Transporting classic and vintage vehicles never sparked my interest as I had no desire to live on the road, even if it was a large car woth a 'house' on the back. Bad enough I hauled electrical transformers for Westinghouse and switching locomotives for them out of Cleveland. Those loads were always permit loads and always took a lot of road time and again, I never got into living on the road. I did it because they pay was fantastic but that was it. Got to drive a double bunk K'whopper with an 1693 Cat and a 13 double over and pull a Kozad or a Rodgers detachable with a tridem rear and a flip axle. Always permit loads, always escort loads and always daylight running as well. Got away from that and became a local company driver and never looked back.

Was an interesting experience but not something I would want to repeat.

 

[5030]

Tom owned a Dusenberg SJ and I still remember it fondly. I still remember riding in it as well. What a classic car. Dusenberg's were way ahead of their time back when they were built.

Just memories now, but good memories.

 

[Hay Dude]

It’s a 2019 truck that still uses def.

I wanted to make sure to avoid that altogether, although this truck has EGR (all do after 2004.5)
I have the Ram with DEF/DPF and its been fine so far, but even earlier cooled EGR’s scare me, too.

 

[5030]

I will say one thing concerning cooled EGR units and what they produce in the process and that is, prior to retirement from the dealership where I worked, DDEC had a huge issue with it as the hard carbon from the EGR process was fouling the intake runners and casusing sensors to fail and DDEC ate quite a few engines. The by products of combustion as well as the crankcase blowby inany compliant engine but especially in DDEC engines collects as hard carbon in the imtake runner and causes expensive grief for the owner at some point.

You can always thank the EPA book smart, practical dumb idiots for that.

I kind of wonder how that will impact the current EPA T4-5 tractors as well?? Stuff has to go somewhere after all. Rudolph Diesel didn't design the engine to consume it's own by products of combustion, I don't believe.

 

[Hay Dude]

So if that Sterling is $20k I think you should.

Thats what I was thinking.
If I don’t have to give much, I figure what the heck, I’ll give it a shot and throw farm tags on it. I’m not hobby farming and cheating the system it’ll be for real farm work hauling bales, IF I buy it lol

Still looking, but I like the features, size, capacity, price of this truck

I like the camo also. It'll partially match your IH and several other colors.

It’s growing on me, but I’d like to have all trucks same color. I think dark green will cover the camo better than white, again IF I buy it.