Buying a used rig can feel daunting, especially if you’re going into it unprepared. But if you stay informed, have a plan, and keep a strict budget, you can come out on the other end with the perfect vehicle for you and your business.
Here’s a short list of tips to keep in mind to make sure you get the most out of your money when buying a used tow truck.
The Wheels Say a Lot
When you’re looking for a used truck, you’re probably not going to care too much about the exterior appearance. If the truck’s been used in a commercial capacity, there will likely be superficial dents and scratches due to the nature of the work, but one exterior feature that can tell you a lot is the tires.
Every used vehicle purchase is going to be at least a little bit of a gamble. It’s just tough to know the full scope of its repair history and impossible to know how many future repairs you will incur.
But if you’re looking at a used rig and the current owner didn’t have the sense to upkeep the tires, you can be fairly certain all of the other less obvious maintenance requirements were left unchecked and untreated as well.
The Odometer
One of the first things people see when looking for new vehicles is the mileage. But rather than thinking about it in simplistic terms such as low equals good and high equals bad, you should be reconciling the mileage with your expected usage of the vehicle.
Before buying, get a rough estimate of how many miles you plan on putting on it each year and use that number to project how many years you can get from your used tow truck.
If you expect to be driving around 30,000 miles each year, and you want to get 7-8 years out of your purchase, then make sure you have about 240,000 miles of leeway between its current odometer reading and whatever mileage is considered the upper lifespan of the vehicle.
Get to Know Your Initialisms
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the maximum allowed weight of the vehicle including all cargo and passengers on board.
Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) is the maximum allowable weight between passengers, cargo, and any trailer attached to the vehicle
Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) is the total weight of your fully loaded trailer including passengers and cargo
Unloaded Vehicle Weight (UVW) is the weight of the vehicle as it was manufactured at the factory. This is inclusive of the engine and transmission fluids at full capacity. This does not include water, cargo, or propane.
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) is the actual weight of your vehicle at any given time. Including all fluids, cargo, and passengers. This should always be under your GVWR.
Contact Robertson Truck Group
Are you looking for a heavy-duty tow truck for sale in Ohio? Robertson Truck Group has been serving Central Ohio for the last 25 years by providing excellent deals and excellent service to owner-operators and fleet owners alike.
Robertson’s has a wide selection of used heavy-duty trucks in Ohio, so whether you need something to get you from point A to point B or you’re looking for a truck that you can outfit with all the bells and whistles, we have something that fits your needs to a tee.
