Best lower cost 26 foot box truck

[Andyinchville1]

Hi all

I may be getting a contract to deliver appliances and the contract requires a 26 foot box truck with liftgate

Because I don't have a lot of money and not a lot of good credit I'm looking for a lower-cost truck to get me started at least

Because my helper will be driving the truck primarily I prefer the truck to be none CDL as well as having an automatic transmission for ease-of-use

I found a 2001ford that seem to meet the criteria above however it has 435000 miles on it it has the Cummins 6.7 liter diesel it seems to be in decent condition mechanically and cosmetically

What are your thoughts on a Ford truck?

I have driven a Freightliner Step Van before and also a Ford dump truck of a similar size and the Freightliner seems to steer way tighter than the Ford.... I think maneuverability will be very important because I will be delivering appliances Etc to residential homes.

Also what do you think the best type of lift gate is?... the ones that tucks up underneath the body of the truck or the one that simply has a large platform with external rails?

I think the one that tucks under the truck would add extra flexibility in terms of being able to back to loading docks however I think the platform is typically not as wide as the type that uses rails along the body of the back of the truck

Thanks in advance for any and all input on this

Andrew

 

[greasytshirt]

I have a bunch of friends that deliver appliances.

By far, the most popular trucks are international 4300's, with DT466 engines and Allison transmissions. There the most popular because they're common and relatively cheap.

The tuck-under liftgate is the most popular, because you can run that into the loading dock a thousand times and it usually still works.

Sent from my XT1585 using EO Forums mobile app

 

[greasytshirt]

While I'm not a huge fan of that Ford chassis, the engine is pretty good. It'll need new injectors occasionally and the lift pumps like to burn up. They're also slugs.

 

[Pigeon Post]

I've got a bunch of different trucks like that, so I'll give you my take.
2001 Peterbilt cabover that gets 12 mpg in any environment. It's got a 5.9 cummins. Super efficient but real tough to get parts for it. I've thought about selling it a million times.
1998 International 4900 with DT466. Engine is awesome, but you really gotta keep up with greasing every little thing on it, and do PMs. Take care of it and it's a great local truck.
2004 GMC Topkick with Cat 7 motor. Lots of issues all the way around, and it gets 7mpg. But it's got hydraulic everything, and no air system, so you avoid a lot of DOT BS if you get pulled over for inspection. Nice simple mechanical truck. I think the Ford F650 is similar.
Had a Ford E450 for a while. I try not to think about it anymore.
I'm starting to buy newer Freightliners so I can work in California. Emissions systems are a pain to take care of, and if they break, a fortune to repair.

I say go with an older International. They are beastly, so you feel cool driving em, but my drivers complain that their bodies hurt after a couple days. It's just a rugged man-truck. No frills.