Do I Need A Complete Truck Engine Overhaul Or Just A Repair?

Author: Chris Grivas, President of CAG Truck Capital

Many owner-operators find themselves at a crossroad when facing a major engine repair. Do I need an overhaul?  Should I just repair the engine and keep going? That can be a tough decision.

The short answer is, if your truck has less than 500,000 miles and the repair is less than $10,000 it’s probably worth repairing. If the diagnostics show that an overhaul is not needed and the repair will remedy the problem, the decision to simply repair the engine is most likely the smart choice.

The difficulty arises when your truck has over 500,000 miles, and the repair is over $10,000. A repair may get you by for a while, but inevitably, the engine will fail, and you will have no choice but to have a complete overhaul. In trucking, like most other service businesses, equipment downtime can be catastrophic. If you spend the money for an engine repair only and only get 50,000 miles before you need an overhaul, the $10,000 spent on the repair is essentially out the window. The far better choice would have been to put those funds toward a complete overhaul, with a nationwide manufacturer’s warranty. In addition, consider the stress of knowing that the truck you drive every day could decide to fail at any point, as well as the devastating financial impact of having a truck down far from home, and how that would affect your business and the clients for whom you haul.

When considering whether to repair or overhaul your engine, need to ask yourself the following questions:

• What brand of engine do I have? CAT, Cummins, Detroit, Volvo, Paccar, Mack?
• What is the overall condition of my truck?
• What major investments or upgrades have I done… transmission, tires, chrome, etc.?
• What is the warranty period from the manufacture?

We have found, that in most cases when a truck has over 500,000 miles and the repair is over $10,000, people that opted for just a repair, regretted doing so, as an overhaul was required sooner than later. Had they done the overhaul they would have been at least $10,000 ahead and have a strong running engine with a manufacturer’s warranty.

Overhauling your engine doesn’t require a full cash payment at the time of work. CAG Truck Capital provides both Easy Engine Overhaul Financing as well as Truck Loans With Guaranteed Engine Overhaul. If you know that your truck is on the verge of needing an engine overhaul, or if you are operating a truck with over 500,000 miles and want to be prepared, a simple overhaul loan with affordable monthly payments can provide the peace of mind knowing that the truck you love is tight, running strong, and is supported by a nationwide engine warranty.

Notes by the author:

You might wonder, “what does the president of a finance company know about engine overhauls?” Fair question. For over 40 years, I have built my business on helping owner operators succeed. We are proud to be the nation’s largest Truck Financing and Engine Overhaul Financing company in the United States, with THOUSANDS of testimonials that we continue to receive daily. If you are in need of truck financing or are facing an engine overhaul and want to know your options, get in touch with us. We are happy to help, there’s no pressure, and never a sales pitch – we are here to help.