Contemplating C or D unit

[Kevin_Sue]

Hi

We are looking into a straight truck purchase. Is it worth the extra expense and effort to drive a d unit over a c unit. I have been reading many post where d units can not scale 13k without a pusher. either way I will get a 33k gvwr truck. With a 84" sleeper. We do not plan on a reefer on this truck. Don at alumina bunk says their truck with a 96" sleeper is too heavy without a pusher. Also with 13k loads on a 20k empty truck it is easy over load an axle. A c unit should eliminate this. I have read that most loads are under 5k. Interested on your thoughts

 

[LDB]

Do you want to swim in a swimming pool or a bathtub? Consider the amount of water in the pool to be the straight truck job pool and consider the amount you can scoop over into the bathtub to be the job pool for a C unit. While most current "D" unit trucks will only scale 11k or so that's not a problem unless you are married to FX or a few other companies. There are plenty of companies that will take the truck on and pay it as a D unit based on 22' box and 10k plus capacity.

Building the trucks is basically equivalent except for more frame to carry the longer box and more box length. I suspect that otherwise pretty identical trucks in C and D configuration would cost no more than a few thousand dollars difference. Considering the higher pay rate and much larger job pool the D unit comes out ahead. The penalty in fuel consumption because of the higher weight of the D unit won't be nearly as much as the increased revenue of D rate. You can still haul the "C" loads in the D unit but not vice versa.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[terryandrene]

>Hi
>
>We are looking into a straight truck purchase. Is it worth
>the extra expense and effort to drive a d unit over a c
>unit. I have been reading many post where d units can not
>scale 13k without a pusher. either way I will get a 33k gvwr
>truck. With a 84" sleeper. We do not plan on a reefer on
>this truck. Don at alumina bunk says their truck with a 96"
>sleeper is too heavy without a pusher. Also with 13k loads
>on a 20k empty truck it is easy over load an axle. A c
>unit should eliminate this. I have read that most loads are
>under 5k. Interested on your thoughts


You say you are buying a 33K truck with an 84" sleeper, so why are you confusing the issue by talking about a 96" sleeper on a particular truck?

There are many pluses and minuses about owning and operating a C or a D category truck. The terms vary by carrier, but the generally accepted category is a C truck is any truck capable of transporting up t 5000#, usually in a minimum 14' box. A D truck is any truck capable of carrying up to 13,000#, usually in a 20'-24' box. I believe you should first determine which capacity of truck you want to purchase, and ensure your selected carrier accepts your choice of truck size. One problem that many people have reported is relying on the comments of a truck salesman who purports to sell them a D truck but the carrier classifies their purchase as a C truck.

A C generally has less run opportunities earning less gross revenue per run; a D truck maximizes your run opportunites and your gross revenue. My inexperienced advice is for you to talk to many truck vendors, and then YOU determine the truck and accessories you want; don't let any truck salesman tell you what truck you must buy.

 

[TeamCaffee]

We are with FedEx so can only speak for what we know of FedEx. We are a D Unit and we have a pusher axle with a 96" sleeper. We added the pusher axle as we could not gross a 13,000 load without it.
With FedEx and in Express you need a D unit in our opinion. Last year we ran 62 C Loads and 78 D loads. With a C unit average gross income for the past two years was 140,426 and with a D unit was 146,150 that does not seem a huge difference but in a few years it rapidly becomes a large difference.

 

[pelicn]

If you're going to Panther I'd suggest a D Unit you'll have many more loads to choose from

 

[davekc]

I believe Panther's "D" unit qualifications are a 18 to 24 foot box, and must be able to carry 9501 lbs or higher.









Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[ATeam]

You said you would not put a reefer on your truck. If you stick with that decision, a D-unit would probably be the better choice, as it makes you eligible for more loads.

 

[Broompilot]

All posts are good here, but have you read how well we are all doing out there? Do you really want to join in?

You might want to be asking about how freight is doing from actual drivers and not just the Companies knowing they want to replace all of us who are about to go under. Freight is at its all time low in my 2 and half years three years on looking on this site.

Just a word of caution. Are you Reading reading this CARRIERS?

 

[davekc]

Broom,
Your situation may be alittle more limited to your situation or maybe the smaller carriers?
Not sure?
We have been pretty busy. We are slightly behind last year, but by very small numbers. Most of it is from more out of service days than run and milage numbers.








Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[ATeam]

Because one driver or carrier may be slow, it does not mean that the entire industry is. Diane and I have been as busy as ever and have no complaints. No one else we regularly talk to in the industry has expressed slow freight concerns either.