I have a small excavation company that I own and operate. I just got started this winter but I am already growing and needing more equipment to get the jobs done efficiently.

Right now I have my 95 F250 7.3 that is my main work horse. I tow a John Deere 3032 tractor and a 16 ft utility trailer. The truck does great pulling the tractor but I routinely pull close to 10k lbs of soil, gravel, mulch etc and am trying to take some strain off my truck because it's my daily driver. I am having to rent a dump trailer right now and it really cuts into profits and when I factor it in to the price of the job knowing I'll need it, often the customer isn't happy about the extra $150.

I am am looking to get a medium duty non CDL dump truck to make mine and my clients lives simpler and I need some advice. Right now I am a one man show so the smoother and faster I can get things done the more money I can make.

I don't have a ton of money to put down on a new truck but I can justify it through the business so I need something hard working and reliable.

I have been looking at a 2000 F550 XL 2wd with the 7.3 and ZF6. It only has 160k miles on it and seems to run and drive great. Has a flatbed dump with removable stake sides. This would be very nice for getting material as well as lumber or other large items I haul frequently. It has no rust at all and the body is straight and I damaged. They are asking $14k for it and I am seriously considering it.

But it while looking around on Craigslist I found a 1990 F600 flatbed dump that seems to be in really great shape. It's only got 81k miles on it and they are asking $10k for it. Doesn't say what motor it is but says bulletproof Brazilian diesel and Allison transmission.

I would be comfortable driving either one of these trucks but would like to get a little more info on the f600. Is it worth getting a bigger GVW truck even though it's older? Are parts hard to find for these trucks? It doesn't have air brakes and says it's under 26k gvw so no CDL.

thanks for the advice

 

I'm going to say go with the F550.

The '90 F600 probably has Lucas-Girling brakes. Good hydraulic brakes, but expen$ive to work on. And work on them you will with a '90.

IMO any older truck should have the brakes gone through before being put back into service. You simply must know the brakes are good, not just take the word of the seller.

The F550 will be somewhat easier to deal with in the brake department.

And then there's tires: Any idiot with a tire machine can deal with the tubeless 19.5s on the F550. (I'm guessing that's what it has) It takes someone with some knowledge and experience at a real truck tire place to deal with tube-type split ring 20" wheels like the F600 might have.

I bet you'll do a lot more work and a lot less "new hobby fixing the truck" with the F550.

Stand by for more!

 

Thanks for the reply. That's pretty much where my decision process has been since I've been looking. I know the super dutys and the 7.3 relatively well. Plus it has disc brakes all the way around. That's a big plus for me.

I hadn't even thought about the tires and that is a big consideration as well. I think for my purposes the 550 will be just about perfect. I know it's got a 17,500 gvw and a payload of about 11k lbs but what is the towing rating on those trucks? My trailer and tractor is about 5k but I plan to be upgraded g to about a 7k lb skid steer in the next year or so

 

This is for 2003 but I doubt it's drastically different than 2000. You should be good up to 10,000 after which it's CDL time in your case.

https://www.fleet.ford.com/resources...s/2003_All.pdf

 

First, air brakes have nothing to do with CDLs.

I see your scenario on a regular basis. Tread carefully. You run out and buy the F550 which likely has a 19,500 pounds GVWR and You hook up to a trailer rated for 14,000 Pounds GVWR. That adds up to 33,500 pounds which puts you in class A CDL range.

If you're using a trailer rated for less than 10,000 pounds a regular drivers license is fine. Most equipment trailers and dump trailers start out at 14,000 pounds.

Also, look at insurance for each truck along with things like repairs and such.

Personally, I'd look for another F250 with either a diesel or V10 rated for 10,000 pounds and use a good 14,000 pound trailer. Stout enough to work and not too cumbersome to run around empty.

 

Go to your DMV and get a CDL book. It should tell you things like a CDL license is required at 26,001 pounds.
There are federal regulations but it is often up to the state to interpret and enforce them. Some seem to add some of there own.
In Kentucky an F150 pulling a two axle trailer with a Joe's lawn care sign on the door is a commercial vehicle with a CGVWR of over 10,000 LBS. That requires a DOT number and the driver has to carry a health card.
In Georgia an F550 with a 20,000 LB rated trailer has a CGVWR of over 26,001 and requires a CDL.
Those are just two examples which are federal law enforced by different states. Another may pay no attention to those and hit you with another.
If the lighter truck does the job and is newer I would lean that way. Those Lucas brakes can be expensive.
The Allison is good.
The Brazilian engine would be a 6.6 or a 7.8? Some were outstanding but heard of problems with some 6,6's.

 

The CDL regulations apply all the same in each state. Otherwise the states lose out on federal funding. The 10,000 is where the federal regulations come in to play. Whether the states apply those regulations or not depends on each state.

If so you'll need the following:
DOT physical
Annual vehicle inspections
State or US DOT number

It goes from there. Looks like Virginia follows the federal regulations.

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/dmv109.pdf

 

While I appreciate the replies guys I'm really not asking about my local CDL rules. I have studied it carefully to make sure I'm in compliance.

My tractor weighs about 3500 lbs and the skid steering I am trying to get is 6400 wet. My trailer has a 9000lb gvw and weighs 2200 lbs. I am under 10,000 and that's the heaviest I'll be towing. The heaviest part and why I am looking at an F550 and not another 250 or 350 is for the payload and dump bed. I won't be towing the skid steer at the same time as having a load so that won't be an issue of combined weight.

I was was planning on steering clear of the F600 to begin with I just figured I'd ask because it was a very cool truck in great shape. But turns out it's in Florida not Virginia even though it's on our craigslist.

I think the F550 will do me very well until it's time to get my CDL and get a full size dump truck. But that's a while down the road. Just having the flatbed will be awesome but then add the dump bed to it and that's a money maker and back saver in my mind.

Thanks for for the advice guys

 

Those older MDTs are really solid and dirt cheap.
I'd absolutely look for a nice older F600/F700 for a dump truck, just not one with the Lucas brakes.
The New-Holland / Brazilian motor is a good one and uses a Bosch IP, parts for the whole thing are pretty available. Go a couple years newer and you will pay a little more but get a Cummins motor, which may or may not be any better but more guys know how to work on them. You can buy a low miles truck in good condition out of a city/state fleet for a song and don't shy away from one a fair ways away if it's the right truck and price. I bought a flatbed for under $3k with 41K on it, nice clean California truck since they changed the emissions laws they are going for a song ie: https://monterey.craigslist.org/cto/6037379735.html https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/6011953825.html

 

Thanks for the advice. Eventually I will be looking for a larger truck but for right now I believe the F550 would definitely fit my needs. And I believe it'll be easier for me to work on. We will see what the numbers look like and hopefully work out.

The truck i was was looking at was super clean and had a flatbed dump which is crucial for me. I need removable stakes because I haul lumber and other large items as well as soil, gravel etc. I still would t mind taking a look at it but I found it's in Florida so that's a no go. I love the look of the F600s though. They just look tough



https://richmond.craigslist.org/cto/6060259921.html

 

IMO, bigger trucks are easier to work on. They are more accessible. The F550 should be a solid choice.

 

F-550 would make a real nice truck, I have a Cummins powered F-450 and wouldn't consider letting it go. The ride is a little stiff letting one know it's a work truck, but with some weight on the back it rides pretty good, the four wheel disc brakes are big and do a good job of stopping a load. The ZF6 trans is tuff and dependable yet shifts smoothly.
You said your looking into the CDL thing but just letting you know with the F550's 17,700 lb gvw and your trailers 9000 lb gvw, that gives you a gcvw rating of 26,700 that would require a class B cdl when you tow the trailer with the F-550. Doesn't matter if your loaded or empty, it the combine rating that gets ya.
Although I think $14k is a little high for a 2000 F550 2x4, finding one with less than 200k miles a 7.3 and zf6 manual is rare these days and much soult after around here.
I've turned down a $20k offer for my 114K mile 04 F-450 flat bed 4x4 with 5.9 and zf6.

 

The statement about a class B CDL is not correct.

Class B CDLs are for straight trucks with a GVWR greater than 26,000 pounds, not combination. With a class B CDL you can pull a trailer with a rating less than 10K GVWR.

You can have a combination greater than 26,000 pounds and still be under CDL.

19,500 GVWR power unit and a 9,000 trailer GVWR. That adds up to 28,500 pounds, a regular drivers license is permissible.