Rebuild the engine or trade the truck? How to weigh costs and other factors

Phil and Annett Albert team-drive about 4,200 miles a week on alternating weeks between Washington state and Michigan.

THE SITUATION: Team drivers Phil and Annett Albert recently faced a tough decision that’s all too common for owners of an aging truck: Overhaul the engine or trade the truck?

They’d been driving a 2008 Kenworth T660 with 1,350,000 miles, powered by a Cummins ISX. However, it needs an out-of-frame overhaul or a new rebuilt engine. With likely costs of $40,000 or more, they’re leaning towards trading. They’ve narrowed their shopping to a 2020 Peterbilt 579 with the Cummins X15 Efficiency series engine, 12-speed Endurant transmission and 3:08 rears. The truck is gently used with 250,000 miles at a sticker price of $110,000.

GARY’S FIX: The Alberts are in their early 60s, hoping to retire in four to six years. So it was tempting to let the KW be their “forever” truck and not be bothered with the expense of a much newer truck.

However, the T660’s maintenance and repair costs were $38,000 in 2019, $48,000 in 2020, so similar costs in 2021 plus the engine work would make for quite a high bill to swallow. Also, repairing the truck’s first-generation transmission had been very costly.

Gary Buchs, a former Owner-Operator of the Year, spent 17 years as a Landstar owner-operator before retiring in 2019. He now coaches owner-operators and hosts the Truck Business Forum group on Facebook. Buchs can be reached at [email protected].The hassles and costs associated with an overhaul or remanufactured “crate” engine aren’t always predictable. Either approach might not include certain components, such as an alternator, adding more costs. Some warranties have gotten more complex, which could mean getting less for your money than you expect, whether it’s an overhaul or full truck purchase.