3 Things I Learned from My First Truck Purchase
I recently went through the process of buying a truck for my business. I needed a vacuum truck capable of becoming a workhorse, but one that was also within budget. Since this was a business purchase, I couldn’t really just go for the most powerful truck I could find; there were other things to consider before making the purchase decision.
The experience taught me a lot about trucks (and cars) and how complicated buying a commercial vehicle can be. In many ways, the things I learned will also help me the next time I’m in the market for a car. I am going to share the three things I learned from my first truck purchase in this post.
Always Start with a Budget
Whether you are buying a vehicle for business purposes or you’re shopping for a new car for yourself, having a clear budget in mind is essentially important. When you know how much you can afford to spend on the vehicle, you can limit your search and complete it much sooner than you think.
I didn’t start with a budget in mind. I simply went out and started browsing through the available options. It didn’t take long before I started looking at slightly better, slightly more expensive trucks. It took even less time for me to start browsing through vehicles that the business couldn’t really afford.
So, I set a budget for the purchase and restarted my search. I limited the options I gathered to trucks that were well within the budget I had in mind. The search wasn’t just much easier to complete, it was also more effective; it was easy to focus on the best vehicles that I could actually afford.
Know Your Needs
Another thing that is just as important as having a clear budget in mind is understanding the kind of vehicle you actually need. Do you want a car to use around the city? Do you really need a 4×4? How many passengers do you usually travel with? These are small details, but they are details that will help you pick the right car.
In my case, I needed a vacuum truck with specific features (i.e. a certain tank capacity and pump power). With these requirements in mind, I quickly discovered VacuumXpress and found the perfect truck to buy. The rest was easy from there.
Think Long-Run
Buying a car – or a vehicle for business – is only the first step in the journey; it is a very long journey too. Aside from the cost of ownership, it is also important to consider the running costs of the vehicle before finalizing your purchase decision.
This was also a step I nearly missed, but a friend reminded me before I made the purchase. Calculating running costs – based on fuel consumption, insurance premium, and other factors – allowed me to determine if the truck I selected was indeed the right one for the business.
Cover these basics and you will always end up with the best car you can buy. I honed my experience and the things I learned from it are useful for you too!