commercial vehicle buyers help - look for these things when choosing a truck for sale

Commercial Vehicle Buyers Guide

Service Records - If you're buying from an used truck dealer and they can't produce something - you've got problems - possibly serious ones. If not, he'd be proudly displaying the records. There should at least be receipts for repairs, service work, and possibly old owners manuals.

See Truck Types Explained for the advantages and disadvantages of each major class of commercial vehicle on the market.

Body Leaks -Other than structural rust, I know of no other exterior related problem that will cost you as much money and cause you as many headaches as exterior body leaks. Body leaks are among the most difficult to fix if the body design is less than first rate. Front facing windows on many poorly designed tractors are nearly impossible to stop leaking due to flexing and stress.

I have seen $30,000 trucks nearly ruined by leaks that went unchecked. Be especially cautious if you see ANY delamination of the side wall. I have never seen the permanent damage fixed for less than $4,000 and that is WITHOUT a guarantee that it won't happen again. This is usually caused by poor roofs and seam design, or bad seals whicha can allow the entire wiring harness to rust out and short. This leads to untold problems, fire hazards and expensive troubleshooting repairs.

Do NOT purchase an commercial truck that has signs of leaking without a thorough plan for paying for and fixing the problem. Otherwise, I can assure you, it will destroy your experience and investment in a short time.

Mechanical Leaks - Look for ANY signs of leaks, particularly from Automatic Transmissions. Some Allison transmissions used in older diesel trucks have wimpy front seals and leak constantly when the transmission gets too hot. Don't buy a truck with a leaky transmission. A replacement Allison can cost $5,000 parts and labor to replace. Leaking brake components or hydraulic systems can be expensive to repair also.

Leaky radiators can be expensive to repair or replace on larger big rigs especially if the labor to pull them involves pulling a lot of other items. Same goes for leaky dash air-conditioning systems.

Body Style - Check out the visibility differences. The entrance door positions vary as well. Compare conventional designs to cabovers.

Transmissions - Get an automatic unless you really like the absolute control of a standard and never intend to resell it. Standard shifts are harder to sell because the newer automatics actually save on fuel. Allison makes the best transmission systems in the world.

Some older off make trucks have engine/transmission setups that are so underpowered you will never be able to afford to use them. These transmissions are forever blowing seals, leaking, overheating, and breaking down. Buy a replacement transmission and guess what? Your only option may be a rebuilt version of the problematic transmission you already own.

Engine - If you are going to be traveling through mountainous areas regularly get the biggest engine you can afford. There is NO substitute for size (raw cubic inches) I don't care what the ads say. My car has a 440 in it. Why would you buy a truck with the smallest engine they offer in it? Check carefully how many miles on the engine or since the engine rebuild. Gas engines last about 60 -100,000 miles, depending on whether they are driven stop and go in the mountains or over long stretches of flat highway. Diesels can often approach 200,000 miles before needing much of anything with proper maintenance.

If economy is a major concern, look for a good affordable used tractor trailer with a great miserly engine/transmission combination. I bought such a truck with a Cummins 190 HP 6 cylinder diesel engine mated to an Allison 4 speed automatic transmission. Over the course of our work for two years in mixed traffic, tough mountain and city driving, we averaged 10.6 MPG in our 30 foot fully loaded straight truck.

NOTE: After evaluating the information above on SPECIFIC issues related to this particular platform you may find the prepurchase checklist helpful. It covers GENERAL issues you should be aware of for ALL platforms. It will serve as a very valuable resource to assist you in evaluating a tractor trailer or commercial straight truck for purchase.

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