Over the past sixteen years, I’ve operated Freightliner Trucks to run my business. A familiar comment from drivers has always been “Oh… a Freightliner, that’s just a fleet truck.” This statement in most cases is intended to get a reaction from me.
Let’s take a look at what it takes to be a “good” fleet truck. Company trucks demand the maximum amount of uptime, reliability, maximum fuel efficiency, and in general the lowest total cost of ownership. A fleet truck is often pushed to maximum maintenance intervals and is often passed from driver to driver during its lifetime on the road. This whole combination of circumstances makes a truck and its components survival a monumental task.
Now let’s look at a truck in the hands of an owner-operator driver. Typically, as the owner of a truck, he/she will usually take pride in this ownership. Maintenance intervals are not stretched to the limit. Basically, all areas of the truck are cared for to the highest degree and driven with care as this truck is the sole means of an owner operator’s business. An owner-operator will often opt for fancier options on their truck. Many of these extra items can be purchased on the initial order form to make a Freightliner as fancy and comfortable as any other truck on the road.
The statement “fleet truck” is the very reason why I’ve purchased and operated Freightliner trucks over the years. Any truck that can stand up to daily “fleet” demands can easily fit the requirements of an owner operator business operation with ease.