It’s sad that people are…
It’s sad that people are spending money on trucks for the money that could buy a decent home here in Texas not long ago (still can if you look hard enough).
I have been mostly Dodge RAM Jeep my whole life, but always have liked a lot of GM vehicles. I’m not a hater, just look for value versus need (& want).
This breakdown stuff is everywhere in all brands, the new Tundra is popping engines, the Ford eco nightmare never ends, Jeep Dodge RAM has lost its mind… but i just read Tim K. is BACK & Trevero is now out as of 12/09/24! (thank goodness)! But the hurricane (which destroys itself) may be the next big Doge Ram Jeep thing also.
All the new stuff is now about who can create the most expensive throw away vehicle.
i haven’t bought anything new since 2018 & i’m probably gonna buy RAM 3500 mega cab for work. My family is partial to all 3 (4 counting GMC). I’m the only big mopar guy but oddly i truly have had very few issues in hundreds of thousands of hard driven miles. My biggest thing is the megacab 4x4 on a shortbed dually chassis…
no one but RAM offers it & i use mine like a mini 18 wheeler (i need the cab space).
The price (no matter what brand has me sick at my stomach). Leasing is totally out of the question. it’s very hard to slam down $100k on a truck that’s gonna get 75-100k miles per year on it. Use too i could trade at about 60k (truck still like new) and it not set me back so much, now that’s totally out of the question & at 5 years with 400,000+ miles i might as well send it to Copart (not joking). A $100k throw away truck🤮.
I truly don’t have the answers and in the HotShot business between trucks, constant upkeep, trailers, fuel, unthinkable amount of insurance (that you better never use)… it’s getting to be a huge situation on IF i can actually afford to continue. I’m having a serious battle with getting it to be worth continuing for one more used up truck.
And being honest, look at nearly any HOT SHOT TRUCKING COMPANY & it’s instant obvious who is making the better truck (for now). Probably 70% RAM (some really old ones even), then maybe 25% post 6.0/6.4 Fords, and yeah just not near as many GM trucks doing long haul HOT SHOT TRUCKING.
It’s truly grueling work on these trucks (not like pulling the camper & boat to the lake, that’s child’s play). We run CDL LOADs in a freaking pickup truck (that’s insane but legal) & it pays often better than many18 wheeler owner operators. Plus, we can maneuver better & generally get things done a lot faster.
The RAM will run easy 500,000 hard driven miles but when on a schedule in a competitive market, any downtime can be thousands a day plus some very expensive repairs. If you go down much… your load scores suffer & it can have you forced to make much less, on sorry loads, while everything costing more. That’s why so many guys don’t last long… it’s a short fuse that can burn you fast.
i truly hope GM steps up & does right by their customers. I would be terrified if i was in this position with someone’s load behind my truck and not knowing if the transmission was gonna blow up every thing, or leave me stranded. No way i could keep that truck after first incident ESPECIALLY WITH NO ACTUAL FIX? Seriously?
That’s basically a huge middle finger to the customers who won’t be loyal after this (probably). But who’s better? It totally depends on your needs & likes. They are all good & bad at this point. It worries me because i make my living with my beastly pickup trucks.
Good luck to those battling this… I will stick with my “GOATS” until i can’t afford to do this anymore i guess. Hopefully this isn’t something failing within the Allison because Ram basically runs the same transmission (but no one has reported anything in my circle of drivers).
Be safe everyone & happy upcoming holidays (if u can afford one) 😖
Tyler