{"id":397,"date":"2020-09-29T08:05:22","date_gmt":"2020-09-29T13:05:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/?p=397"},"modified":"2021-07-28T08:53:19","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T13:53:19","slug":"buy-used-semi-truck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/buy-used-semi-truck\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Buy a Used Semi Truck"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you\u2019re buying a semi truck for your own business needs, starting a new hauling business, or expanding your fleet, purchasing a semi truck is going to be one of your big-ticket expenses. With brand new semi trucks bearing an average price tag of $120,000, turning to secondhand semis is a great option to save some serious bucks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, not all used semi trucks are created equal. While used semi trucks cost significantly less, you still want to get the most out of your money with a truck that won\u2019t break the bank and won\u2019t break down on the road.<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"border: 3px solid; padding: 10px; width: 100%; border-radius: 25px; border-color: #F4A70F; color: #007bff;\">\n<p><span style=\"color: #007bff;\"><strong>What&#8217;s Inside<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"#buyingchecklist\">How to Plan Your Used Semi Truck Purchase Using a Simple Checklist<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"#fancier\">Fancier Isn\u2019t Always Better<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"#inspection\">Bring a Vehicle Inspection Checklist<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"#repaircosts\">Consider Future Repair Costs and Future-Proofing Compatibility<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"buyingchecklist\"><b>How to Plan Your Used Semi Truck Purchase Using a Simple Checklist<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That said, with so many options and dealers out there, it\u2019s easy to get confused with the sheer amount of information that you need to digest when deciding which secondhand semi to buy. It\u2019s best practice to come prepared before shopping for used trucks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use the following checklist to rise above all the marketing\/sales noise and get the semi that will give you the best value for your money and get the job done at the same time:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"fancier\"><b>Fancier Isn\u2019t Always Better<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like a kid in a candy store, it\u2019s easy to get drawn to semi trucks that have all the bells and whistles promising the latest and greatest in hauling technology. Naturally, these models will have a higher price tag compared to the more \u201cbasic\u201d alternatives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Resist the temptation to buy used semis just because of these high-end features. Before talking to a seller or a dealership, perform your due diligence by mapping out your needs and the corresponding technical specification\/s that will satisfy those needs. You can also create an initial shortlist of truck models that meet your requirements and the price range for each.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Likewise, set a budget and stick to it. It might be useful to bring your finance manager or budget officer with you (if you have one) to serve as the voice of reason and make sure that you don\u2019t go beyond the predetermined budget.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"uv-lst\" data-category=\"125\" data-count=\"6\" data-type=\"new\"> <\/div>\n<h3 id=\"inspection\"><b>Bring a Vehicle Inspection Checklist<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s no shortage of horror stories about second hand vehicles breaking down. For hauling a hauling or trucking business, this equates to unplanned roadside repair expenses and loss of revenue due to downtime.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Performing a thorough inspection is a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">must<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and should be done thoroughly, leaving no stone left unturned. Among all the items in this checklist, this is the process where you should spend the most time on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your inspection checklist could be as long as you want (without sacrificing efficiency), however, if you\u2019re looking for a guide to help you create your own, below are the things that should comprise the bare minimum used semi truck inspection checklist:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Truck maintenance history. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pay attention to regular preventative maintenance that was done to keep a high-level of vehicle integrity. Take note of recurring problem areas and instances of roadside vehicle breakdowns.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Inspection and compliance records. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you may already know, the trucking industry is a highly-regulated one. It\u2019s important to review past inspection reports and recognize potential compliance issues. You can use this later on when you\u2019re negotiating with the seller\/dealer.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Accident history (if any). <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the truck you\u2019re eyeing belongs to a well-managed fleet, there should be a log of all accidents that a semi truck has been involved in. Basic details should include the type of accident, the vehicle&#8217;s damages, and the repairs done. If a seller\/dealer can\u2019t provide you with an accident history, you can get in touch with the local authorities to get the records yourself.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Vehicle mileage. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similar to everyday personal vehicles, semi trucks will start showing more issues when a certain mileage is used. You may even chance upon a used semi truck that still has a warranty because it\u2019s still within the covered mileage. Come pre-prepared with a close-to-accurate estimate of the route that the truck you\u2019re going to buy will be in to help you calculate how much mileage you need.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Physical and mechanical condition. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a given that secondhand semis will show signs of wear and tear. However, there are red flags that should signal you from walking away from a truck. Excessive rust, destroyed flooring, extensively damaged window seals, malfunctioning lights, and poor tire conditions are usually indicative that the truck wasn\u2019t well-maintained.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your in-house mechanic should be the best person to help you in doing a thorough inspection. If you don\u2019t have an in-house mechanic, talk to your local mechanic where you usually have your trucks repaired to help you with the process.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"repaircosts\"><b>Consider Future Repair Costs and Future-Proofing Compatibility<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The purchase cost of a used semi truck is arguably the biggest financial consideration when choosing a unit to buy, but you shouldn\u2019t neglect the future repair costs &#8212; short-term, medium-term, and long-term &#8212; that you will incur in the upkeep of the vehicle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask yourself, \u201cwould it be more cost-efficient to spend slightly more today and save on repair costs in the future?\u201d Remember, unplanned roadside breakdowns cost higher in terms of repair and loss revenue, so it\u2019s important to plan out ahead to anticipate future repair costs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further, it\u2019s wise to take into consideration whether you can future-proof the vehicle or not. For instance, telematics will soon be a requirement among trucks. Make sure that the secondhand semi truck you\u2019re buying can be fitted with new technology for compliance.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Wrapping It Up: Benefit from the Services of a Used Trucks Broker<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buying a used semi truck can be a daunting process, especially if you don\u2019t know where to start and what to look for. Since you will be mostly talking directly to owner-operators, you don\u2019t get the same expertise that you would get from a dealership when buying a brand new unit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is where a used truck broker like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/semi-trucks-for-sale-near-me\">UsedVending<\/a> can help. With a team of experts that balances the interests of both the sellers and the buyers, we can help you find the most suitable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/semi-trucks-for-sale\/\">used semi trucks<\/a> based on your budget, needs (immediate and future), and unique business requirements.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you\u2019re buying a semi truck for your own business needs, starting a new hauling business, or expanding your fleet, purchasing a semi truck is going to be one of your big-ticket expenses. With brand new semi trucks bearing an average price tag of $120,000, turning to secondhand semis is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":191,"featured_media":570,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[102],"tags":[21,51,103,33,76,105,104],"class_list":["post-397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-semi-truck","tag-business","tag-business-plan","tag-semi-truck","tag-success-tips","tag-truck-business","tag-trucking","tag-used-semi-truck"],"modified_by":"Titus Asher","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=397"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2303,"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397\/revisions\/2303"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}