If you’ve never bought a truck before then this can be a daunting process. you want to ensure you get the right truck for you at the best price. There are so many factors to consider and so much information out there it can be overwhelming. Getting the right truck for your business that matches the driving type is crucial to success. There’s probably no such thing as the “perfect” truck, but there are definitely some major factors to get right, so let’s take a look.
New Truck or Used Truck?
This is easily your most significant and most important choice. There are definitely pros and cons for both, but buying a used truck has some variations in whether you are buying privately or from an authorised dealer. Private means you have to sort out independent finance and take the risk of finding and knowing the private truck is in good condition and has been well maintiained, as you will have no warranty. Prices will be lower, but risks will be higher.
New trucks come with an incredible amount of extras and can be more affordable than you might think. A used truck from a dealer is a great option, as there may be some warranty options plus finance may be available. If the dealer is a good one, then they will have serviced the truck, be confident in its history and priced it fairly.
Talk to the Experts
Talking to other drivers and the staff at a large authorised dealer can be pure gold. Other people’s experiences cannot always be found online, as you don’t know what to search for so some of their advice may be crucial, so don’t be afraid to ask, after all, you may well be a great new loyal customer to a truck centre.
Transmission
There are many types of transmission found on today’s trucks, manual, true automatic, automatic manual transmission (AMT), etc. As this is one of the most important parts of your truck, beside the engine, it’s important to get this right as this is what you’ll be dealing with the most on a day-to-day basis. Matching this with the type of driving you will be doing, will be important so you should ask the dealers what they recommend for your specific situation.
Safety Features
Safety is one of the biggest factors in new truck designs. Whilst engines are continuously improving (especially fuel efficiency) they haven’t really changed massively in principle for a long time. Safety however has been evolving year by year thanks mainly due to technology. The older the truck, the fewer safety features it’s likely to have, but here are the main ones you might consider:
- Pre-Collision System
- Pedestrian Detection
- Lane Departure Warning System
- Vehicle Stability Control
- Reverse Camera
- Daytime Running Lamps
Features like the ones above make the roads not only safer for you, but for pedestrians, other drivers and your cargo.