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| For us, we are small grain farmers with a medium size hog operation with 2M gallons of manure. We had cheap grain trucks that worked great, but when manure became an issue for us. Driving a tractor took forever and even nursing a big A in the field with tanks on the back of the grain trucks was a headache. There is more competition for grain hauling so it may be priced closer to ownership of the semi, but for manure I could buy all the stuff I have with two year's spreading bill. That said, I have $12K freightliners, $15K 30' hoppers and $7K aluminum tankers (not a lot invested).
Besides the money savings is having the trucks available when I need them. For me both semis run 4 months out of the year and one will pull a sprayer nurse trailer (40' van trailer). So they sit most of the year. To us a lower cost nearly 1M mile semi works just fine. I've rebuilt one engine and will possibly do the other at some point. They are 3 pedal autoshift so the transmission has made perfect shifts it's whole life. We only have a max of 7 miles to an elevator so having a newer, more expensive truck isn't a must have (though I was stranded twice at the elevator - hidden fuse, broken rear driveshaft - but that's in 5 years use).
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When does it pay to buy a semi?
