Are you looking to expand your transport business and profits by purchasing a new truck but don’t know which one to choose? Worry no more, because this post includes everything you will need to know to be able to select the truck that works best for you and your needs.
Finding a commercial truck is complicated, especially for a startup company. Since there are additional factors to consider before making a decision, it’s much more complex than looking for a personal vehicle. A work truck serves more purposes than just getting from A to B. In addition to being a mobile workstation for you and your employees and a vital tool for the services you offer, it also serves as a portable representation of your business and, if it is lettered, an advertisement. However, it is also a benefit to your business.
Without direction, the pressure to make sensible choices might seem much more daunting. While the specifics of your purchase should be left up to you and the commercial truck sales specialists, there are five crucial factors you should consider before signing any paperwork at the dealership to make sure you’re making a choice that will ultimately be profitable to your business.
1. Design
You might not be aware of the variety of work truck body types available as a new business owner. While some businesses only need the standard truck bed to transport goods, tools, equipment, or supplies between the office and the worksite, others demand much more from their work vehicles. Depending on what you need your vehicle to be able to do, you can choose the truck body design that will be best for your business and the services you offer.
A truck topper for the bed of your truck can be all you need if you work in the pest control industry or own a construction company and require more interior storage for your tools outside of the cabin. A utility bed can be the solution if you need storage for tools or other equipment but still require an open bed for a workspace or for transporting objects you’d prefer not to be in an enclosed space. Or perhaps you need to deliver fuel or landscaping supplies, tow equipment with a gooseneck trailer, or do other work-related tasks. In that situation, a gooseneck body, fuel body, or even a dump body would be required. Truck body alternatives can help your business function as smoothly as possible, even if you’re a mechanic wishing to offer your services on the road. While you might be able to find a work truck for your company that is already created and ready to go off the lot, you can also buy a truck chassis separately from the body so you can completely tailor the work truck to your company’s needs.
You’ll need to decide on the color of your truck in addition to the design of the body. While picking the color of your car is as simple as selecting your favorite color, there are other facets to consider when it comes to the commercial truck used by your business. For example, will you add lettering to the vehicle or layer it with your business’s logo? If so, you should ensure that the exterior paint color complements your company logo when used as a background. Also, do you intend to expand your company? Will future expansion necessitate a truck fleet? In that situation, you’ll want to ensure that the color you select is accessible and familiar, as vehicle brands offer distinctive, frequently-changing paint color palettes; this is why many businesses opt for a basic white commercial truck.
2. Value: Purchase Price, Operating Costs, and Resale Value
You are well aware, as a business owner, that expenses can quickly mount up. Even if you acquire a used model, buying a new vehicle is an expensive outlay that is also valuable, so you need considerably more than just the initial purchase price. In addition, you should pick a fuel-efficient vehicle if your business transports items or offers a service requiring extensive travel. Due to these and other factors, diesel trucks are popular among companies, including their capabilities.
It would help if you also researched the most durable and reasonably priced models. The last thing your business wants to face is for the truck to be stalled at the shop waiting for impossible-to-find equipment, or worse, for the truck to turn away jobs. Of course, this is why you should always have a backup truck, but even the cost of repairs alone can add up and reduce your company’s profits if something is constantly broken. Owning a vehicle entails certain primary and preventative maintenance charges and a few unforeseen repair costs. Still, anything beyond that could be detrimental to your business in several ways. You can ultimately save time and money by investigating the available brands of reputable commercial trucks.
3. Cabin Configuration
Cabin configuration is another item to consider when looking for your company’s work truck, just like if you were shopping for a personal truck. The most typical cabin sizes are regular, extended, and crew cabin varieties, though each manufacturer may have a different name for its cabin designs. The regular cabin is one of the most typical cabin styles found on commercial trucks because it is the smallest, has only one row of seating, and can only accommodate three passengers at most. It is also the least expensive choice. However, an extended cabin or even the most extensive crew cabin configuration would be better if your business mandates that teams travel together in a single truck.
With its two rows of seating and interior storage space in the back seat, an extended cabin can accommodate up to six passengers. However, it does not have as much space as the larger extended cabin, which can accommodate the same number of passengers. Extended cabins may or may not have back doors at all, whereas crew cabins are often longer and have four full-size doors. They might not be full-size like the front doors if they have four doors. Crew cabins are the most expensive option among the three because they are the largest.
4. Drivetrain
It would help to consider the drivetrain for your business truck as another aspect similar to purchasing a personal vehicle. For your truck, the four-wheel drive might be an excellent option, but it might not be the most outstanding choice for the work trucks used by your company. Unpaved highways and off-road conditions will definitely benefit from the four-wheel drive. But it also adds up the cost of ownership and complicates the system, raising the possibility of transmission issues down the road. Another consideration to keep in mind if your business involves much commuting is that two-wheel-drive trucks typically receive higher gas mileage than four-wheel-drive versions. Choose a drivetrain that will be the most reliable and cost-effective solution for your business.
5. Truck Size Classification
You’ve probably heard of light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks. The majority of recreational trucks are categorized in this way. However, they can also be categorized under different class numbers for commercial use. Commercial trucks are classified according to their function and gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which is the collective weight of the truck, its occupants, equipment, and cargo. Light-duty vehicles fall under classes 1 through 2, medium-duty trucks under categories 3 through 6, and heavy-duty trucks under classes 7 and 8.
These courses are essential for purchasing a commercial truck because your truck will be more capable the further up in the class you go. For example, comparing Class 1, the Tata Intra V30, which is rated for a maximum GVWR of 2565 kg, to Tata’s heaviest truck, the Class 6 Signa 4825, TK, which is placed for a maximum GVWR of 47500 kg, is an excellent way to illustrate the differences in capabilities between classes.
Choose your work truck wisely.
Choosing a commercial truck for your company might be a difficult decision. However, you shouldn’t take the task lightly because it is not only the company’s daily operations on the line with your vehicle pick but also the future of your business and your staff. Therefore, before making any final decisions with a dealer who specializes in commercial truck sales, it is crucial to take into consideration the right body style, exterior paint color, cabin configuration, drivetrain, and truck classification that are available at an affordable price from a brand you can rely on. Finding a commercial truck ideal for your company won’t be difficult if the proper preparation is performed.
