“These are the times that try men's souls.” | What kind of milage do you have to drive a year, what type of driving, etc? I have to be able to leave on a mouments notice. Maybe drive 150 miles one way or only 80 roundtrip. Nightime, or daytime rain or snow. Sometimes when the freeways are shut down. From interstate to two track dirt, mud mired messes. I've got to have a depenable truck, and big enough to pull 30,000 lbs. gross weight.
Yes I can drive a $1,000 truck, but do you trust it doing those things? And yes I do own those type of trucks. But I don't put that kind of pressure on them, they never leave the valley, a 10 mile radias. I care enough about my family, that if I send any of the my cars or trucks they are going to be safe.
As far as insurance goes, to just insure a beater on my farm costs 108 dollars a year for liab. at 300/300/25 coverage. My new 07 durmax is in the area of $600 a year( I don't have the exact figures in front of me right now). That's a truck worth $37,000 dollars at $600 a year for full coverage vs. a $500 beater for just $108 Liab. That seems like a no brainer to me.
It is acually cheaper in the long run for me to drive new outfits, than to keep repairing older ones. Most days I put 100 to 350 miles on a day. My wife does 90 to 160 just to work and if needed to kids school events. My oldest boy just to be able to play sports in school has to drive a 60 miles a day, because there is no buses that run them home, and all the other kids in our valley are too lazy to compete at school, so he has to drive alone.
The biggest factor in buying trucks and cars is to buy them right, if financing is needed to go for the cheapest money. Pay more than 20% down on them, no trades, pay them off in less than three years. And take care of them! I don't know how many people I know that cry poverty to me, but they don't take care of anything! I've got a friend, one of the best friends you could ask for, but he can't take care of anything, tools, etc., you name it. For them to buy a 40,000 truck it would only be worth $5,000 in three years!
One great example is the old JD 4020 tractors at the time they were top of the line, a lot of money for a lot of farmers. Most said they couldn't pay that for a tractor. They bought Fords, AC ,etc., but if they took care of them, today they are worth more thay they cost new with 5,000 to 9,000 hrs. on them.
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Time to update pick-up. New or Used?
