Auction help !!

Flip a coin. There are no guarantees no matter which route you choose.

Personally if you have the cash,.. I would seek out O/O's. At least there you can physically see and look at everything you need. Start the truck, drive it, look for problems. Get oil sample,.. bring a mechanic or more experienced friend.

I look at it this way. No one sells a perfect money making problem free truck. Its being sold for a reason. Its up to you to find whats wrong with it and then assess if its worth it to you or negotiate for a better price.

I spent the better part of 14 months searching for what I wanted. If anything doesnt feel right or isnt what you want/need. Walk away.

Hurst

 

Locate a truck with a decent drivetrain
Warranty.

 

Personally, if you're looking for any used truck manufactured with a Post-Emission engine, you're wasting your time, and especially your money.

If you're not planning to run in Commifornia, look for a good Pre-Emission truck or a Glider truck.

Your wallet will thank you later.

 

Well, it doesn't matter.

I don't buy any more trucks from private owners unless I know the guy/gal. I've had a lot of issues in the past with trucks that were supposed to be taken care of but are junk. I've had more private owners who refused to let a dyno and other inspections take place, only to find out that they didn't want the problems discovered.

Do your due diligence, don't get emotional about any truck, it is a truck.

 

i personally will not buy a truck, i wish to stay a company driver till i either die or retire. that being said, never buy a repo'd truck.

a private seller may not cooperate with you in some ways.

a dealer may have great used trucks, or junk, but at the very least, if it is a brand he sells (for instance Pete) and he has used petes for sale, maybe, i say maybe you can get a good warranty coverage for that truck. this does not mean that peterbilt dealer does not have say freightliners, that he can provide a warranty to as well.

private sellers provide NO warranty,

auctions you buy "as is", "as seen", no implied warranties



o/p, in the end....what Hurst says:

Flip a coin. There are no guarantees no matter which route you choose.

 

That dealer truck may be an unknown as well (hell they all are). Our local freightliner dealer regularly sells consignments with no real dealer skin in the game.

 

I'd buy from a private seller any day over a used dealer. The dealer will most likely not be able to share any significant history of the truck like an actual owner would be able to.