Any of the new trucks are good, I have a ram 2500 tradesman but am not brand loyal, just got it cuz it was the cheapest way to get a new 2500 diesel, chevy 2500 was quieter and nicer ride, Ford was a beast in the power department. I kind of agree with the Chevy 2.7, it’s a great engine and doesn’t seem to get hated on too much, I’d probably stay away from the hemi or the Ford 5.0 as they’re gas hogs, tundra is never a bad choice. Honestly you should just drive them all and pick whichever is most comfortabl, or whatever dealer has the best coffee.
Which truck to buy?
- Thread starter GMFan
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Anyone have a 3.0 duramax? Might be a consideration for the op, I’ve also been curious as I went from a 15k toy hauler to a 6k travel trailer.
NOT IN HIS BUDGET.....but good suggestion otherwise!
So the employee agreement just lists IRS reimbursable mileage - it does not specify a vehicle type. There is no requirement to a drive a truck, but my employer prefers for me to drive a truck so I can haul stuff when needed. My understanding from other employees is they drive standard cars (refuse to get a truck) and then when stuff needs hauling make the company hire someone to do it. But most employees do drive trucks. So I think it’s more of a “want” than a requirement.
Typical mileage would be 1,500-2,000/month. Some rare months maybe more.
Yeah he's going to get killed as that standard reimbursement rate maybe breaks even on a used car, but not a new truck. Deprecation and fuel costs will eat him alive, that kind of mileage will kill the new car warranty pretty quickly so now you're paying extra for an extended warranty. Just a horrible time to buy a truck, prices are up, used car prices are up, fuel prices are up. Yet the reimbursement rate hasn't really changed. Plus I bet with hauling stuff around, he probably won't come close to those EPA gas mileage numbers and gas costs will be higher than you think.
So if I'm understanding you correctly, you're doing forensic fire investigation. So you might have to bring a appliance like a stove back to somewhere where you can take a better look at it and see if that was the item that caused the fire ? You're not hauling junk around from afire to a landfill in other words. A lot less beating on the truck than I originally thought. Don't wear those boots in the house. LOL
I sure wouldn't buy a truck, at least off the bat.
First of all, you need to determine if you like the job, or if it is economically feasible to hold.
As has already been said, too many variables here (Fuel/Jump in insurance cost) to determine if you will at least come out even.
I know that I wouldn't want to buy and tote the note for a brand new truck to run it into the ground for the job.
For now, I'd drive your oldest car, and if stuff needs hauled, make the company pay for it.
IF you determine that you like the job, want to continue, and need to work with these parameters, I certainly would look used and see what you can buy in a manner that makes depreciation work for you. I'm thinking some type of used van (Fullsized or mini) that you could pick up reasonably and run into the ground.
Very few outside accessible toolboxes (like the ones over the wheel well area) are decently theft proof. Thieves see them and thing it is an easy target. They will sell your tools on the street for a small fraction of their value just for a quick buck.
I have a cousin who is one of the best carpenters in the entire South Pennsylvania area, and when he was getting started in his business, he pulled the bed of his new F150 and put a nice looking unit on the truck that included boxes on both sides. Added ladder supports, and stretched steel grid to protect the back window. About a year later after he had built up a really nice collection of tools, someone cleaned out everything he had in those boxes. If your going to go that rout, be sure it is something a thief will not want to spend the time it would take to break into.
I have a cousin who is one of the best carpenters in the entire South Pennsylvania area, and when he was getting started in his business, he pulled the bed of his new F150 and put a nice looking unit on the truck that included boxes on both sides. Added ladder supports, and stretched steel grid to protect the back window. About a year later after he had built up a really nice collection of tools, someone cleaned out everything he had in those boxes. If your going to go that rout, be sure it is something a thief will not want to spend the time it would take to break into.
AZjeff
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OP only you know if you need a mid-size or full size by how much you might need to haul with your equipment and damaged appliances or whatever.
A Quick search on Autotrader for "new truck $35k" shows you can get any brand/model of 2wd base - work truck trim level. Even some crew cabs.
Not sure about a van, that burned smell will never come out so you'd be living in it all the time you're driving. Does the company care if you show up in something old?
You didn't ask for financial advice but you're getting lots of it from concerned members. Hope you looked at it hard.
A Quick search on Autotrader for "new truck $35k" shows you can get any brand/model of 2wd base - work truck trim level. Even some crew cabs.
Not sure about a van, that burned smell will never come out so you'd be living in it all the time you're driving. Does the company care if you show up in something old?
You didn't ask for financial advice but you're getting lots of it from concerned members. Hope you looked at it hard.
Get a sedan. Regardless of miles driven-your insurance company needs to be notified. Please note when I notified my insurance company-the premium really didn't go up much-but that was some time ago.
Or ask him to cough up more money to have you drive a truck. It would seem it would be much cheaper to give you more money than to contract it out. If you choose a truck-it would be -as mentioned probably $1.00 a mile-less the .58cents. So figure that cost in to what he is paying you.
The Nissan Titan may be a good truck for your use and It's made in the USA. The vk56vd is relatively simple since it has no AFM/DOD, turbochargers or belt driven oil pumps to worry about. The new Frontier also looks to be a good midsize truck but a little less capable than the Titan.
This sounds like a bad financial deal all the way around. I don't think which truck you choose will change that. If the vehicle is financed and racking up miles fast you could very well wind up in a situation where you still owe money on a clapped out useless truck. I'd negotiate more favorable terms and if they are not agreeable to that, I'd say you should be looking for a new job instead of a new truck.
Are you an employee or a contractor? Even if you go over the reimbursement in costs they are tax deductible. Not free, but deductible. If you are driving a vehicle for company use and get in an accident they are responsible if you are an employee, not so much as a contractor. I bought a vehicle early in my career in the same cirmcumstances but negotiated a one time $8000 bonus to be used as a down payment. When they were sold a year later and terminated all of us they asked for the $8000 back, I told them to pound sand. At least I wasn't upside down on the truck because of it.
I will be an employee.
Personally I'd ask more questions, especially about insurance. They do have ultimate responsibility since you are an employee. The vehicle you can depreciate on your taxes, and take deductions on anything over reimbursement (and the IRS will raise the reimbursement eventually, you need to ask if they will match the IRS when it does).
As to vehicle, a crew cab Colorado would be a good balance and serve you well. Add a solid folding cover for security when you have nothing in the bed, and availability when you need it. Get the longest bed option and get a good locking tool box/chest for the bed to store your stuff in when the cover is open.
I had a friend (he was a neighbor who had to move away now) who has a daughter who drove a car for work. The car was owned by her employer and the employer paid the insurance. She got in a major wreck, and now can no longer work. The employer had low tort insurance and the insurance company paid her very little for her injury. She could not afford her cost of living so the neighbor who was retired moved to live with her to help her with her costs of living and take care of her.
At least if you are the one buying the vehicle insurance you can choose full tort.
At least if you are the one buying the vehicle insurance you can choose full tort.
BTW, if I were taking that job, I would ask for the $8000.00 upfront down-payment for the vehicle, and also insist on at least a dollar a mile reimbursement. If they say the IRS only allows 58.5 cents per mile, tell them that you will not eat the loss. It is better that they eat the loss.
Truck insurance is more than car or SUV insurance, and work truck insurance with high milage use is more than normal truck insurance.
Go price truck tires now days. And if you are in a job where you got to go any day of the year in any weather you better have top quality tires, even in NC you can still get snow in the winter, and bad rain storms any time else.
Truck insurance is more than car or SUV insurance, and work truck insurance with high milage use is more than normal truck insurance.
Go price truck tires now days. And if you are in a job where you got to go any day of the year in any weather you better have top quality tires, even in NC you can still get snow in the winter, and bad rain storms any time else.
My V8 Ram 1500 costs me less to insure than my V6 Chrysler 300 did, by about $35 a month.
I suggest sitting in various trucks. It took me about 2 minutes to conclude that the seats in the Silverado were incredibly uncomfortable for me. Hard to beat a Ram 1500 Classic though on value.
Pretty much all pickup trucks are built in the US. The tariffs on import pickup trucks are otherwise too high to make it worthwhile.