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New Truck Recommendation


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This may sound brusque but I have my reasons, you are welcome to have your opinion about buying new vs used and such, but please understand that I have my reasons and contribute accordingly, please.  I only write this because I know how some strings of comments can go.   

But, to my query and I truly and sincerely appreciate everyone’s opinion, professional experience and reasons in their answers.  I am wanting/needing to replace my current truck.  I made a mistake buying it, but I did.  I have a 2021 Toyota Tacoma Limited that I absolutely hate and is the biggest POS I have ever owned and that includes the Suburban that puked a motor a month after I bought it used.  I would really prefer a mid-sized truck but given my domestic situation I also want to replace my small but very nice camper trailer with something a little bit bigger, so my girlfriend and I have more room and comfort.  Anything decent weighs in the 7000 + CGVW range topping out around 9000 for what we would likely want.  So that puts the mid-sized out of the picture since most are limited to 7000 or slightly over.  Fuel economy is also very important, but I know that a full-sized truck will not be great.  I was spoiled with my 2018 Colorado Centennial Edition which would regularly return 22+ on trips on the expressway and 24+ on rural highways.  But the transmission was one of those 8 speed beasts that did more shuddering that shifting so it was replaced by this POS Tacoma on the strong recommendation of a friend who had owned 3 Tacomas over the years and currently had a 2020.  To make matters worse, besides the dismal fuel economy, it won’t break 19 mpg on the expressway, it shudders too.

 

Okay, this is getting long but you have the background and needs for a new truck.  I would prefer a new as opposed to used for some reason.  What trucks would you recommend or recommend staying away from?  Decreasing the pool of possible candidates is the very strong desire to have a moonroof.  An integrated brake control system would be nice but not necessary since I have a very nice Tekonsha unit now.  I am not a fan of Chrysler products but I am also looking for something to buy and keep for an extremely long period of time.  Thank you to all who read and respond, I a truly grateful.

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I have a 2019 RAM 2500 and really like it.  I had a 2010 Tundra before that and really liked it too, but I needed to switch to a 3/4 for the fifth wheel camper.  I have always heard that RAM=comfort, Ford=chassis and GM=powertrain.  If I was looking at 1/2 tons again, I would look at Tundra though I swore I would never buy anything turboed that wasn't diesel.  

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      I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
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