Advice on Purchasing First Box Truck

[SoCalGaming]

Hey guys,

Looking for some advice. I own a comic book store, and we starting doing really well with some of the Comic Con shows last year. This year we're signed up for more than 15 shows in various states, and I'm looking for as much advice as possible on what vehicle would be optimal for our business expansion.

1) Ideally, I need cargo for the size of a 14' box truck. If we pack efficiently, I need to fill up an entire 14' box truck full of merchandise. The weight of the merchandise isn't too much; a lot of it is plush, light figures, etc... Do not need a lift gate.

2) We're located in LA. Off the top of my head, we are signed up for these shows in the next 12 months.

3 Los Angeles
1 Atlanta
1 Chicago
1 Las Vegas
2 Phoenix
2 San Francisco
2 Salt Lake City
2 Albuquerque
1 Denver

So obviously we're doing some traveling. For our last show in Salt Lake City, I rented a 16' diesel box truck, and gas was brutal.

3) Looking to do shows for about 2-3 years.

4) This is the truck I'm looking at. It's hard to find any sprinter box trucks, but it seems ideal for what we need. Strong mileage, but able to move a large volume of not too heavy merchandise.

Atlantis Cargo Vans & Commercial Trucks - (626) 917 2008

Perfect size, looks like it gets better mileage, etc...


Please give me some advice on what you think would be the best to do. Looking to spend about 15k on a vehicle.

 

[Murraycroexp]

Mileage 90% dependent on the average distance your foot spends from the floor.
I hear Sprinters DO have the highest potential for mpg but that potential cones at a price.
Higher up front cost.
Higher maintenance cost.
Higher repair cost.
But it's also my understanding they CAN make it a million miles if the CORRECT maintenance was performed from day ONE.

 

[zorry]

Will that be under 10,000 gvw ?

If not, really think this through.,
Are you ready to log ?

Do you have time to drive to shows and back ?
Have you checked insurance cost ?

How much stuff do you carry back ?
Would it be more cost efficient to find a vehicle to rent,for the West Coast Loads, and find a carrier that can haul your longer loads ?

Also, do you want this truck for personal use or will it be costly to store when not being used..

It gets a little complex than just buying a truck.

 

[Murraycroexp]

How many comic books do you have to sell to pay for a $17,500 truck, $250 a month for insurance & 20-25 CPM for fuel?

 

[tknight]

Dual rears I'm betting over 10k, which means scales , some permits, az and NM come to mind, log books, medical cards and dot number are also required, also just cause it has a 14' box it may also have a very small payload available as a box is heavier than a van! I don't know the weights of a dual rear sprinter, but I'm willing to think your payload might br not that great.
Tk

 

[zorry]

Denver,Chicago, Phoenix also may put you into some winter weather/extended travel times.

It's not that we don't want you to do it. We just want you to be sure it's a wise move before you invest your money.

 

[SoCalGaming]

Mileage 90% dependent on the average distance your foot spends from the floor.
I hear Sprinters DO have the highest potential for mpg but that potential cones at a price.
Higher up front cost.
Higher maintenance cost.
Higher repair cost.
But it's also my understanding they CAN make it a million miles if the CORRECT maintenance was performed from day ONE.

Most of the time we will be flooring it through the middle of nowhere, so would it just be wiser to grab a simple box truck? Since we are buying used, I doubt the vehicle will be in anything better than decent shape.

Will that be under 10,000 gvw ?

If not, really think this through.,
Are you ready to log ?

Do you have time to drive to shows and back ?
Have you checked insurance cost ?

How much stuff do you carry back ?
Would it be more cost efficient to find a vehicle to rent,for the West Coast Loads, and find a carrier that can haul your longer loads ?

Also, do you want this truck for personal use or will it be costly to store when not being used..

It gets a little complex than just buying a truck.

Ok, so if the vehicle is over 10,000 weight, I need to stop at weighing stations? How does that work? It becomes a commercial vehicle? Completely oblivious to all of this. But I definitely do not want it to be a commercial vehicle. Trying to stay as far away from that as possible.

Our merchandise isn't very heavy. We have about 10 pallets per truck, and they weigh like 250-300 lbs each. So not horrible.

How many comic books do you have to sell to pay for a $17,500 truck, $250 a month for insurance & 20-25 CPM for fuel?

We don't sell comic books, we sell pop media related merchandise. Primarily plush. Not concerned about financing, we have the cash to buy 5 trucks. No longer interested in renting, they're always fuel inefficient and we are doing enough shows were the return on purchasing a truck would make sense.

Dual rears I'm betting over 10k, which means scales , some permits, az and NM come to mind, log books, medical cards and dot number are also required, also just cause it has a 14' box it may also have a very small payload available as a box is heavier than a van! I don't know the weights of a dual rear sprinter, but I'm willing to think your payload might br not that great.
Tk

I need to know more about being a commercial vehicle. Have to stay away from that.

 

[SoCalGaming]

Denver,Chicago, Phoenix also may put you into some winter weather/extended travel times.

It's not that we don't want you to do it. We just want you to be sure it's a wise move before you invest your money.

Only in the summer. Favorable weather.

We need to purchase a truck. It's not an option. It's dumb to keep renting a vehicle for 15 shows when I can purchase one.

 

[tknight]

14 ' Morgan box weight is 2200 +- a few lbs, you might be close to 10k without a load. Check the door tag for body builder gvw on this truck and get it weighed prior to buying it, add in a full tank of fuel into that figure, and add in driver and passenger weight to the scale ticket as well as your luggage and stuff, then you'll have a rough idea of cargo capacity.

 

[tknight]

There is no getting around commercial, get over that idea fast.
Conversation goes something like this,dot officer "what's in the back of the truck"
you ,just stuffed animals sir
Dot officer, pull over around the back and bring in you logs, permit if needed, medical cards and where's your dot number on the doors?
You..... Oh crap

 

[SoCalGaming]

There is no getting around commercial, get over that idea fast.

What do you mean? I'm saying I'd purchase a vehicle and travel with less cargo to get around it. I'm not trying to "cheat" the system, I'm trying to not be commercial.

 

[zorry]

If you're thinking the $printer is the way to go, there are plenty of past threads on buying used $printers.
I would think most of the info would apply.
I'd try to find a little history on the usage and maintenance of said vehicle.
If you have someone with a little truck knowledge, have them look at it. Or look it over.
Only fear I have with small trucks is was it too small for it's previous life ?
Overloaded routinely ? Transmission abused ?

 

[zorry]

When you cross that 10,000 lb threshold you become commercial.

If you own what you haul, you'll be a private carrier.
That simplifies things a little.

 

[SoCalGaming]

When you cross that 10,000 lb threshold you become commercial.

If you own what you haul, you'll be a private carrier.
That simplifies things a little.

Understood. How many small box truck vehicles get away without being commercial?

 

[zorry]

Locally in LA, probably many.
Ca plates going through Kansas or Nebraska ?
Probably not as many as you think.

Cops will be checking you out hoping to find a big drug shipment.

I had a young cop try to trip me up on my story. I hauled trucks to Long Beach from Mi. Specialized trailer. He was sure I had to be hauling drugs .
Who else could afford to make the trip back empty ?
We could. We knew we would come back empty. We charged round trip money on the outbound load.

 

[SoCalGaming]

Locally in LA, probably many.
Ca plates going through Kansas or Nebraska ?
Probably not as many as you think.

Cops will be checking you out hoping to find a big drug shipment.

I had a young cop try to trip me up on my story. I hauled trucks to Long Beach from Mi. Specialized trailer. He was sure I had to be hauling drugs .
Who else could afford to make the trip back empty ?
We could. We knew we would come back empty. We charged round trip money on the outbound load.

So in my position, what would you do? Are there cargo vans with 600 cubic feet of cargo space?

 

[Murraycroexp]

Flooring it in anything will net you 7-14 MPG.
Set the cruise. Back it off some.
But there's a whole lot more issues here than that, as you see.

 

[Daffyduck528]

Understood. How many small box truck vehicles get away without being commercial?

I ran a sound company and we used Penske trucks to move our gear. Our partner that did lighting got busted on one trip we were doing. We were in convoy, they got busted and we didn't. You never know. Even with a rented truck like Penske or Ryder if your using it to haul your merchandise you have to have a dot number, log books, etc. most companies apply for one and have magnets made up to stick to the doors with the company name and dot number.

 

[Murraycroexp]

So in my position, what would you do? Are there cargo vans with 600 cubic feet of cargo space?

Yes. It's called a CargoMax 600.
I messaged [deleted] to make him an offer but haven't heard back and I don't have his phone number.
If anyone has RM's phone number PLEASE PM me.

 

[tknight]

Dual axel trailer and diesel pick up truck, less likely to be stopped by dot, however the laws, they are a changing, and your taking a chance