Looking for a bigger truck for my logistics business i started late last year. It really took off and my 1/2 ton is just not going to get it done with how busy i was last year. Narrowed it down to a 6.2L ford gasser after talking to a few mechanic friends.

6.2L gas
under 100k miles, lesser the better, I'm going to put a ton of miles on it
budget 20-30k
flat bed is a plus

Let me know if you have something worth discussing! Appreciate the help

HV

I got one, its a great truck, but she's a thirsty girl. No problems pulling mid-sized loads at all. Most comfortable truck I've ever had.
Tell me more about your logistics business. Does logistics = hot shotting?

Also, $20-30K with low miles, you're going to probably be looking at a 7-10+ year old truck.

I found a 2015 f350 today with 80k miles and asking price 25k I'm looking at tomorrow. It checks all the boxes so far

"Logistics" means delivering water pallets. Currently deliver all over Texas and a little into LA. I've had a couple of those customers ask me about hot shotting for them so I'm getting set up with a hot shot arm too

I also provide refrigerated trailer rentals for on site 24/7 cold storage for rural customers or emergency situations

Why a gasser specifically?

with how many miles i'm going to put on it, maintenance will be cheaper. oil changes, other parts, etc. i put close to 40,000 miles on my current truck last year. gas truck will be less expensive from a capital investment standpoint as well.

i feel confident this business is here to stay, but i also dont want to spend too much on equipment just yet.

I've owned a hot shot company for almost 14 years and I think you will eventually find the opposite to be true.

We put 60-100k miles on our trucks per year, and I've only ever hired one driver with a gas truck, and I'll never do it again.

Gas super duty trucks are gay

white GMC HDs with camper shells, and gear and stoves and midget strippers are gayer

did the gasser just not have the juice to move what you guys were moving or was there something more specific you can share?

any insights are helpful!

JeremiahJohnson said:

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Gas super duty trucks are gay

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we had one, they F ing suck... worthless POS we ever bought, wont tell you why we bought it but it got turned in for a F350 Dully and we never looked back.. dont get a super duty gas, not smart

highvelocity said:

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white GMC HDs with camper shells, and gear and stoves and midget strippers are gayer

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That cuts deep. But at least its a diesel.

was the dually a diesel i assume?

highvelocity said:

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did the gasser just not have the juice to move what you guys were moving or was there something more specific you can share?

any insights are helpful!

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Gas engines simply won't withstand the constant pressure put on them by hauling and pulling the type of weight we do, day in and day out.

In my experience (and virtually 100% of other trucking business owners), the best thing you can do is invest in your equipment from the jump. Don't skimp to save a few dollars on your truck, it will cost you thousands in the end.

Another thing that's true about professional trucking... you can never have too much power or capacity.

You can have too little, but never too much.

Trust me on this. I've had this conversation literally hundreds of times with people trying to break into the industry. Every last one of them has come back to me that has ignored the advice after a year or so and said that they wish they had listened.

I'm happy to talk to you and answer any questions you might have about the business.

highvelocity said:

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was the dually a diesel i assume?

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Well yes of course .. (my dad wanted the gas because he used to have one back in the day.. we told him not to but it was his choice - 1 1/2 years later and we had the diesel dully and the gas was gone ) the dully could pull circles around that gas engine … was not even close

I have this truck with 115k on it. Black. Beautiful. New tires. You just can't beat it. Never needed a mechanic. Pulls my trailer and ranger with corn like nothing is there. F diesel. Gas for life!!

giddings_ag_06 said:

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I have this truck with 115k on it. Black. Beautiful. New tires. You just can't beat it. Never needed a mechanic. Pulls my trailer and ranger with corn like nothing is there. F diesel. Gas for life!!

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That's just something people who have never pulled with a diesel say...

If you pull occasionally, gas is the way to go. If you're pulling every day, diesel.

AgEng06 said:

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giddings_ag_06 said:

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I have this truck with 115k on it. Black. Beautiful. New tires. You just can't beat it. Never needed a mechanic. Pulls my trailer and ranger with corn like nothing is there. F diesel. Gas for life!!

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That's just something people who have never pulled with a diesel say...

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That's more of a half ton type load anyway.

I am a big fan of my 2011 super duty gasser.

I like it most filling it up at the pumps that have diesel and gas.

ENG said:

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I am a big fan of my 2011 super duty gasser.

I like it most filling it up at the pumps that have diesel and gas.

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I got more miles per dollar out of my '18 Powerstroke than my '19 6.2 due to the increased mileage of the diesel.

Of course, it takes a ton of miles to break even on the premium paid for the diesel engine, but the diesel makes it so much more enjoyable to drive.

Edit: I misread your post as you saying you'd rather pay to fill up with gas than diesel, but I think you were joking about blocking a diesel pump with a gasser.

I'm going to go against the flow here. I'm a farmer/rancher. Use a heavy duty truck daily. I pull hay, cows, and tractors. I haul short distances and long distances. I have also previously had diesel trucks.

I won't be going back to a diesel. The cost to purchase, operate, maintain, etc. are all significantly cheaper in a gas engine truck. My dollars and income mean something to me, so I'm going to spend them as wisely as I can.

Id like to discuss things a little more if you dont mind. My email is in my profile.

Farmer Jack said:

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I'm going to go against the flow here. I'm a farmer/rancher. Use a heavy duty truck daily. I pull hay, cows, and tractors. I haul short distances and long distances. I have also previously had diesel trucks.

I won't be going back to a diesel. The cost to purchase, operate, maintain, etc. are all significantly cheaper in a gas engine truck. My dollars and income mean something to me, so I'm going to spend them as wisely as I can.

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I agree. Diesels are not what they use to be. With all the emission crap they have ruined them. Diesel fuel also use to be cheaper than gas. The advantages just are not there anymore.

While we are talking about the OP entering the hot shot space, don't skip out on proper insurance and DOT compliance. Invest in learning and doing it right the first time. Find an insurance agent with experience in hot shot and not just your buddy who also sells commercial, home, and life insurance. It will be cheaper and less headache in the end.

Had a 12 F250 gasser. Great truck. Miss it all the time. Sold it at 6 years old and 170k miles.

Mistake.

What're yalls thoughts on a 2019 6.7L with 30k miles? I have a friend with one that may sell it.

That's the rig I have. Mine has 120K and I love it. 30k is low miles being 5 years old.

Go for it if price is right. That is the last year with the 6-speed and the last year that they are much easier to remove unwanted parts. We have a 2013 F-250 6.7L at work that pulls a trailer every day. It had check engine lights for the DPF filter and DEF heater which was going to be over $4,000 to fix and we ended up removed the unwanted parts for around $1,500. It pulls much better, gets better mileage, and we have not had another issue with it in two years.

highvelocity said:

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What're yalls thoughts on a 2019 6.7L with 30k miles? I have a friend with one that may sell it.

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Great truck. That is an incredibly low number of miles for a 5-year-old truck.

You can get it for a good price, I would jump on it.

hes going to want 40-50 for it, probably being on the higher side. still a good deal considering the climate of new vehicles. i delivered a dealership customer today and their new f250s were 75-90k without TTL

what kinda maintenance have you had so far?

what was a good contact for you? had a few questions regarding the hot shot game

Nothing major really. I am on third set of shocks and 4th set of tires. I do my own maintenance to the best my ability. The key is to be diligent, the regular stuff is easy. Do not forget to change your fuel filter on schedule, it takes 10 min and 40 bucks. If you are hot shotting, invest in a Titan 55gal tank. It's so nice not having to stop so often.

ranchag04 said:

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Farmer Jack said:

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I'm going to go against the flow here. I'm a farmer/rancher. Use a heavy duty truck daily. I pull hay, cows, and tractors. I haul short distances and long distances. I have also previously had diesel trucks.

I won't be going back to a diesel. The cost to purchase, operate, maintain, etc. are all significantly cheaper in a gas engine truck. My dollars and income mean something to me, so I'm going to spend them as wisely as I can.

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I agree. Diesels are not what they use to be. With all the emission crap they have ruined them. Diesel fuel also use to be cheaper than gas. The advantages just are not there anymore.

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Me 3. Solving def and regen problems on our farm, ranch, and construction equipment is probably 50 percent of our machine down time. Which really sucks.
Happy with gas pickups and glad we still have a couple pre def/regen big trucks in the barn for heavy haul needs.

OP, we've had Chevy 2500 hds with the 6.0 L gas engine for the last 15 or so years. Never have had any problems with the engine or transmission including the 18 with 170k miles on it.
They do not have the power or fuel mileage of diesel pickups, but I don't get in a hurry hauling heavier loads anyway. Occasionally haul trailers with 10-15,000 lb range.