Buying the Truck

Feb | 1 | 11

Truckers News February 2011 – Buying the Truck

Choosing your first truck as an owner-operator is important.  While new trucks look great, prices well north of $100,000 make new impractical….Many dealers get used trucks from carriers that often aim to keep costs down.  “A lot of things don’t get done to those trucks,” McClusky says.

 

5 tests to do on used trucks

Bill McClusky of ATBS recommends the following tests when you’re serious about a used truck.  They will give you the best opportunity to get a good truck short of knowing the previous owner and how the truck was driven, McClusky says.

1. Complete fluid analysis of the engine, coolant, transmission and both differentials

2. Engine health dynamometer

3. Electronic control module diagnostics report and lifetime trip activity report

4. Warranty history report printout from dealer to reveal repairs that have been done under the manufacturer’s warranty

5. Any maintenance records you can get from the seller or dealer

Over the last 10 years RigDig has reported an average over 93,000 federally reported tow-away accidents annually for class 3-8 trucks. Of these accidents, 2.9% resulted in a fatality.

VIN Cloning is a growing crime, where criminals take the vehicle identification number (VIN) from a wrecked vehicle while it is sitting in a junkyard, then create new VIN plates for a stolen vehicle of the same make, model, year and color. RigDig can protect you from purchasing a VIN cloned vehicle.

2.8% of all RigDig Reports run by users were for trucks that were flagged as either Junk, Salvage or had a serious Salvage Title.

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Protect your customers, your investments and your reputation. Let RigDig™ shield you from the unknown on trade-in and auction buys. Powered by the most comprehensive and the most trusted data sources available, RigDig™ Truck History Reports help you make more informed used truck purchase decisions. Whether you are a fleet manager, a dealer or owner-operator, don't make a deal without knowing as much as possible about a truck's history. Make better investments - get a RigDig™.