What you wished you knew before buying a used truck?

Same as buying a used car, buyer beware.

 

Who are you ? Did you introduce yourself ? Are you a trucker ? I think you get the point. We like to know who we are dealing with …….

 

Here are my suggestions

• Unless you are a mechanic - Hire a mechanic to go with you or take it to a certified independent diesel repair shop and have them look it over
• Demand to see the maintenance history of the truck. No history - walk away!
• Get a Rig Dig report (Carfax for Trucks)
• Check dealership reviews
• Ask for recommendations from other O/O's and small successful companies in your area on where to buy.
• Take your time - compare specs, prices and maintenance history
• Do not be seduced by chrome!

Good luck!

 

What I wish I knew then. Hmmm. Well, I've never had any interest or intent to drive someone else's truck or buy new so my first truck was a fleet trade in at 500k. It was a great truck but I paid $60k for it. Ran it for 500k/5 years. It costs me an average of $20k a year for ALL maintenance, including tires.

That's the backstory, here's what I wish I knew before I bought it. The truck I recently bought for $30k is just the same. Same specs, same drivetrain, same mileage, same almost everything. And it costs half as much.

Nowadays I've got years behind me now of learning how to fix and maintain trucks. No one can really teach you this but you.

 

There is a reason the mega's get rid of trucks after 250 to 350 thousand miles.