I have been looking into purchasing a medium duty dump truck recently. I hope to someday run my own excavating business and have been researching for a while, it is time for me to make my first equipment purchase which I think should be the truck. I am planning on buying all my equipment one piece at a time and building up from there as business expands so I can pay cash and not have any large loans or at least a little as possible, I thinks its best to have it all paid for so the bank cant take it when work is slow, I dont like to finance things. I am looking in the $10k and under range, I plan on starting around that price, I can haul a few loads of gravel or fill dirt here and there for people local and make it work enough to cover its expenses until I can buy other equipment, if for some reason things dont work out then I'm not bankrupt like I would be with a newer/more expensive truck. So, heres my questions what kinds of trucks/engines do you guys recommend or have experience with. I am familiar with older internationals w/ DT466's and 5+2 speed, and have been looking primarily at those. In my searchs I have come across several others with L-10's, M-11's, what do you guys know about these? I know to steer clear of the 3208 caterpillar boat anchor. I also found a few nice ford f-700's with 5.9 cummins I'm considering. I know the Internationals are a good truck and I cant go wrong with a dt466 but thats the only medium duty trucks I know, what else is out there? Thanks

 

the l10 m11 are pretty good motor the 666 ci so the are larger than the other you are looking at a true med duty motor they got a bad rap because guys put them in tandems and light triaxles and the were under powered but work ver well in a med duty any of the small cats were junk, an 8.3 cummins would be ok much better than a 5.9 the 7.8 ford was depenable but not a power house

 

Ditto on the CAT's. Also avoid 8.2 Detroit's; worse than 3208's. I assume you have a CDL as any truck with an L10/M11 will be over 26K GVW.

Nick

 

Ya, I have my class A's, with all the endoresements except hazmat so I'm ok there. I'm going to look at an 87' International today with a L-10, I'll check it out and tell you what I think.

 

If you have a CDL why not go for an older 10+yd tandem?

Nick

 

I've been thinking about that, I could haul twice as much but, the expenses also go up. 4 more tires, more brakes, more $$ in plates, insurance, fuel. I dont know, if I found the right one maybe, not sure what I need yet. I am trying to get a business started, the wheels in my head are still turning and I'm still in college right now so maybe I'm crazy for wanting to do this but when I get out I want to hit the ground running. The truck with the L-10 I was going to look at already sold before I got down there, I need to get out and look at some more to see what I need. Thanks for all your input

 

ever thought about getting a skid steer and a dump trailer to tow with your truck instead??? Just an idea, but around here guys with skid steers are always busy and the guys with dump trucks are doing OK but most are leased out (and fuel isn't going to get any cheaper, thus cutting into your profits)...

My ultimate goal is to do what you plan on doing, but I am going to start with a skid steer, dump trailer.... then add in a med duty truck, probably a tiltable flat bed with sides added (to keep it from being classified as a dump truck which means $$$$$ insurance rates)... THEN... sell the dump trailer, buy a longer pintle hook trailer, and add in a mini-excavator...

 

I thought about doing something like that to start but the problem is theres lots of other guys around my area with small equipment also, seems like everybody is selling their big stuff and buying the mini excavators and skid steers and doing small residential contracts, I see 1 ton dump trucks with skid steers and mini ex's all the time running up and down the road. Some of the larger excavation guys I've talked to tell me how they are so busy and have jobs lined up all the time and actually have to turn some people away just because they dont have time to do it, so thats why I thought maybe I could fill in what some of them cant do, I dont know though. The route like your talking about is intriguing though because the costs arent nearly as much, insurance, fuel, etc.

 

The Fords are good trucks as long as you avoid the Ford 7.8 liter motor. Those old Fords are awesome in a tight spot, they turn a lot sharper than an International. A 5.9 powered truck would be a mistake too, get an 8.3 Cummins as a minimum in a Ford.

 

Don't mean to hijack, but what are the problems with the Ford 7.8?

Are they a sleeved engine?

I was looking at a straight truck with one of those in it.

Thanks,
JP.

 

It's kinda feeble and parts are expensive/hard to get. It's not the worst engine out there (3208 Cat, 9 liter International are definitely worse options) but there are better alternatives. We still have one running, but the last time it broke it was down for nearly 3 months waiting on parts.

 

What's wrong with the 9L IH?

Nick

 

Perhaps this is because of the reasons already stated. They have BTDT and found residential work to be more profitable. Might want to just follow their lead and start there.

 

There can only be so many guys doing the small residential stuff, the kind of jobs I'm looking into are going to require larger equipment therefore I need a larger truck, I've looked at a few and I think I'm pretty well set on a late 80's International Class 7 (26001-33000 lbs) single axle truck with a dt466 and the 5+2, they have a good reputation and they're what I know the best so thats what I'm gonna stick with, I just need to find someone to finance me for it all now, my bank doesnt like the fact that I dont have a credit score, I've never financed anything at all before so my score is 0. I have to get a stupid credit card or something for a month or two and pay the bills on time before they'll give me a dime, how stupid is that? Any way thanks for all your advice guys, I appreciate it