AssetTrader Buying Guide to Used Trucks

Introduction

Trucks are the one common denominator between several different industries. Trucks are used in shipping, manufacturing, construction, landscaping and general usage.
With such a variety of uses and industries, it means trucks are mostly customised to suit their particular load or delivery. This has had an effect on the truck manufacturing industry in that industry standards have a fair way to go to catch up with the quality and level of car manufacturing for instance.

It also affects the used truck market in terms of less long term reliability. Trucks can have hidden histories of working in tough environments like construction sites, or off road which can mean hidden problems from a purchaser. Therefore it goes without saying that if you’re looking for a used truck you never want to purchase before you test-drive the particular truck you’re looking at.

It’s important to check the environment the truck is from, the mileage, and to get a certified service history.
AssetTrader has put together a quick buyer’s guide to help you avoid some of the pitfalls of buying used trucks.

Functionality and Use

Box Trucks, which have enclosed cargo areas are most commonly used for deliveries and shipping, and are measured in terms of the cargo area. Most businesses use the 14 to 24 feet areas. Nearly all box trucks have a roll up gate on the back. It maybe a good investment to choose a lift gate or a powered platform when dealing with heavy or bulky loads that can be easily loaded from a dock.

Some extra functions that can add expense depending on the delivery load, is refrigerated cargo, pass-through doors into the cab and rail systems along the walls that make securing cargo easier.

There are roughly four different categories of trucks.
Light Trucks: This includes pickup trucks, trucks not weighing more than 3,500kg, tow trucks, sedan delivery, panel van, panel trucks.
Medium Trucks: Multistop trucks, motor homes, platform trucks, flatbed trucks, and bottler are included in this category. Medium standard trucks mostly weight between 3,500kg and 7,500kg. Local delivery companies and council service trucks fit into this category.
Heavy Trucks: Here we move into the semi-trailers, dump trucks, log carriers, garbage trucks and tank trucks. The biggest trucks are available are in this category. They are capped at 50,000kb in most countries. This is the limit to avoid damage to roads. This category is for long haul purposes which are often found in B-double or semi-trailer configurations.
Off Road Trucks: This final category is usually found in the construction site. These are mining trucks, logging trucks, construction trucks, etc. These are not found on public roads and therefore not constrained by weight limits.