Buying a service truck can be stressful. Four tips to help you purchase the service truck you need.
Tip 1 -- Identify what you need. Service Trucks are customizable... for the most part. As an owner, you need to determine exactly what work you will be doing to find which foundation for your truck is most appropriate. What are your business goals with the truck? Be clear with what your objective is and what your truck will need to be equipped with to meet that goal (see below).
What size service truck do you need (light duty, medium duty, heavy duty)? What accessories do you need? A crane, tow trailer, specialty equipment, tools, tanks, etc. Accessory requirement may have an impact on weight and stability, which may impact axle requirements and chassis requirements.
Tip 2 - Consider performance needs. Factors to consider, in addition to axels and chassis, include items such as payload -- the capacity of weight the truck can carry. This needs to be measured on two fronts:
- Will it meet your expected weight use including customizations?
- Will it comply with state regulations? Always assume you will need to carry more than you think, because in most cases you will.
Look at which gas the vehicle will take, as many trucks are moving towards an electrically powered fueling system, which may increase the market value of your vehicle long-term but could increase maintenance costs initially.
Tip 3 - Consider if you should buy a new or used service truck? Choosing whether or not to purchase a brand-new service truck is a stressful decision for many service truck owners. A new truck is, of course, more exciting, but it could also be out of financial reach. New trucks will most likely provide you with better warranty options, newer technology, and less gas costs.
Used trucks can come with hidden costs. Be prepared for higher insurance, faster depreciation value, and increased maintenance costs. When buying a used service truck, owners should consider reliability and applicable use.
An important factor to consider on a used vehicle is maintenance history, not only the vehicle’s maintenance history but the equipment’s maintenance history. Get reports and run tests to ensure you understand what you are paying for.
Check the body of the truck for any rust or damage and pay attention to what types of materials have been used.
Tip 4 - How to finance your service truck purchase. Plan out the finances required to comfortably make the purchase. For a service truck, ask yourself where you stand on the scale of cost vs performance. A good tip is to prepare a budget for potential repair and upgrade costs, because they are inevitable and will ensure you are not blindsided by large maintenance expenses.
The process of building an effective service truck is a puzzle, but when it all comes together it can look and feel amazing.