how much does your local truck dealers matter in your buying decision

The weird thing is, I bought my trk. in Mn. and the dealer there has done me good. Heck even their parts dept. Has been good to me. I have called them out on the road when the dealer in the area did not have the part I needed. They shipped it to me. Yea I paid the shipping, but hey they had the parts..
When I do update I will give them first shot on the next trk..

 

I think for your local operation the parts departments hours and stock on hand is a huge deal. Get to know them and spend a few bucks with them and they can be extremely valuable. I was a service/parts manager in a mid sized GM dealer for several years. I had loyal parts customers that got perks like me or my staff getting them service info, use of some special tools, time talking to a tech etc. because they spent money with us.

 

Local access to parts/service will save you time and money!!!

 

Besides the trucks, I have all the farm machinery to take care of. My choices are based on parts and service, I think in that order. If I have trouble getting parts, I'm not having any fun, no matter what brand. As I live in the boonies, I count on a parts network that includes UPS delivery that comes the next day, and my trusted NAPA dealership that delivers several times a day. If I need dealer specific parts I want to talk to someone knowledgeable, courteous and accurate. If I can't fix it and I need service, I want a well trained, knowledgeable, courteous actual mechanic person to show up. If I need to take a truck or machine in, I want an accurate time that my piece is going in the bay. Parts and service, brand after. That said I do love John Deere and Peterbilt!

 

I used to think dealer support was important until I had to depend on them a time or two. You have no doubt already found there's a few gems out there surrounded by mountains of poop. With a new truck, I'd be more worried about the service department and downtime versus parts availability. Even if the parts are on hand, it doesn't matter if your truck is sitting in there for a week waiting for someone to look at it. And then get to do it again when they don't fix it right the first time.

FedEx and UPS offer daily overnight service. It's not a big deal to get parts from somewhere else in a day. However, in addition to cleaning out your wallet, dealer service departments tend to service and care for their national accounts ahead of some guy that just comes in once in a while. The parts order will not be the big factor in turn around time. I'm in the Atlanta area and have dealt with Freightliner and KW. Both have pretty much same day availability on parts. I will hire a tow truck before using any of their service departments, while saving both money and time with that option. To be honest, this is something that keeps me from even considering a new truck and potential warranty service needs. The glossy ads in the truck magazines are never backed up at the service counter where it really counts.

 

Amen on this. My truck is still under warranty. 1 week delay at Peterbilt to even get it looked at. It's generally 3 or 4 days but they were extremely busy. Doesn't do a whole lot of good to have a warranty that will cover that $500 repair when you lose $5000 in revenue. I'm glad I anticipated the wait and got my boat ready to go do a few days of fishing!

To the OP, I'd definitely look hard at parts availability. Being able to get a part on the weekend is very important if you don't want to lose a day running during the week.

 

OOIDA advertises that members who buy new trucks (and used also I think) from Rush or MHC can get bumped to the front of the work order line by mentioning you are a member. Have often wondered if it really worked or would just get a blank stare or excuses in the real world.