Do you wish to purchase a used recovery truck? Did you know what you should be doing to make sure that you'll be able to pick the truck you want? Listed here are ten top tips that will help you to buy a used recovery truck safely;
1. Ask yourself, 'why do I want to buy a recovery truck?' Do you do some mechanic-ing or are you a longtime operator? Are you starting out in the industry, looking to create an income or will you be making your business more versatile. Before you buy a recovery truck you need to figure out who'll be driving it, how often, how far and what type of vehicle you are going to recover.
2. What are your long term plans? Are you seeking a short term solution or maybe this is really a long term purchase. Might you always be carrying a similar class of vehicle or will you want to branch out. As the market changes so too does buying patterns. Something you might buy for 10,000 might not sell for 6,000 in six months. You should always be aware of just what the future might bring.
3. How much is your budget? This is often an crucial point. People often stretch themselves to purchase a tow truck that catches their eye and then, the unimaginable happens and they don't have enough money to get out of a jam. Pick your budget and even remove a buffer amount from it for safety. When considering your negotiation strategy, the initial offer for almost any truck should be no higher than 10-15% under you budget in case they drive a hard bargain.
4. Make a list of essentials. Exactly what do you require in your recovery lorry and what would you love. Build a list of both to help you work out a like for like comparison. There is no point in spending money on a fancy when you don't expect to need one.
5. Search through the different recovery truck websites to create a list of available vehicles and cross reference prices. Try to begin with a list of 5-10 and narrow it right down to 3 or 4
6. Phone twice, visit once. Once you have come across something which fulfils your expectations, give the owner a call. Ask them a couple of tough questions and make certain you aren't likely to take the time to visit something which never was going to do for you. Before you set off to visit the truck to take a test drive, phone again. And remember, where possible; make an effort to visit the lorry at its work premises.
7. Take your time to examine the truck thouroughly. Whenever you visit a possible purchase, take your time to take a close look at all its parts. A recovery lorry turns into your office and also your income, so you need to be very sure that you are getting the one that suits you. Take a good look around and perhaps bring an extra pair of eyes. Don't be any more afraid of a bit of paint damage but don't get bought over by shiny things!
8. Test drive on different roads with a load on. Tow trucks perform differently with different loads. A breakdown truck often feels very different loaded as to unloaded and the handling and comfort of something you could possibly spend 10 hours a day in, becomes extremely important
9. Before you give over your hard earned money, get a check done. Make sure your vehicle hasn't been involved in a crash, been stolen or has finance on it. Any of these things might affect your claim to it at some point, as well as its residual value, so it is worth the time and any costs it may well incur.
10. Make sure your truck is fully certified before you work it. There are statutory things you must have before you take a recovery truck on the road, including Insurance, MOT and PSV. AS well as this you vehicle should be registered with your department of transport. Finally, it is advisable to meet minimal health and safety standards to operate a recovery truck, so make sure you know your responsibilities.
1. Ask yourself, 'why do I want to buy a recovery truck?' Do you do some mechanic-ing or are you a longtime operator? Are you starting out in the industry, looking to create an income or will you be making your business more versatile. Before you buy a recovery truck you need to figure out who'll be driving it, how often, how far and what type of vehicle you are going to recover.
2. What are your long term plans? Are you seeking a short term solution or maybe this is really a long term purchase. Might you always be carrying a similar class of vehicle or will you want to branch out. As the market changes so too does buying patterns. Something you might buy for 10,000 might not sell for 6,000 in six months. You should always be aware of just what the future might bring.
3. How much is your budget? This is often an crucial point. People often stretch themselves to purchase a tow truck that catches their eye and then, the unimaginable happens and they don't have enough money to get out of a jam. Pick your budget and even remove a buffer amount from it for safety. When considering your negotiation strategy, the initial offer for almost any truck should be no higher than 10-15% under you budget in case they drive a hard bargain.
4. Make a list of essentials. Exactly what do you require in your recovery lorry and what would you love. Build a list of both to help you work out a like for like comparison. There is no point in spending money on a fancy when you don't expect to need one.
5. Search through the different recovery truck websites to create a list of available vehicles and cross reference prices. Try to begin with a list of 5-10 and narrow it right down to 3 or 4
6. Phone twice, visit once. Once you have come across something which fulfils your expectations, give the owner a call. Ask them a couple of tough questions and make certain you aren't likely to take the time to visit something which never was going to do for you. Before you set off to visit the truck to take a test drive, phone again. And remember, where possible; make an effort to visit the lorry at its work premises.
7. Take your time to examine the truck thouroughly. Whenever you visit a possible purchase, take your time to take a close look at all its parts. A recovery lorry turns into your office and also your income, so you need to be very sure that you are getting the one that suits you. Take a good look around and perhaps bring an extra pair of eyes. Don't be any more afraid of a bit of paint damage but don't get bought over by shiny things!
8. Test drive on different roads with a load on. Tow trucks perform differently with different loads. A breakdown truck often feels very different loaded as to unloaded and the handling and comfort of something you could possibly spend 10 hours a day in, becomes extremely important
9. Before you give over your hard earned money, get a check done. Make sure your vehicle hasn't been involved in a crash, been stolen or has finance on it. Any of these things might affect your claim to it at some point, as well as its residual value, so it is worth the time and any costs it may well incur.
10. Make sure your truck is fully certified before you work it. There are statutory things you must have before you take a recovery truck on the road, including Insurance, MOT and PSV. AS well as this you vehicle should be registered with your department of transport. Finally, it is advisable to meet minimal health and safety standards to operate a recovery truck, so make sure you know your responsibilities.
About the Author:
If you work with recovery trucks or would like to buy or sell a recovery truck in the Uk and Ireland, please visit www.UsedRecoveryTruck.com Thank you