Trucks are powerful beasts that ply the roads and highways to deliver goods, materials, and other commodities. These movers continue to help shape the economies of many countries around the world. On the microeconomic scale, choosing the right truck for your business is an investment that needs careful consideration. You’ll need a vehicle with the right capacity to carry your products and engine performance to make several trips daily. All operational boxes involving your prospective truck must be checked before making the big purchase. These items after the boxes will be explored further as you continue reading.
Match Your Truck with Your Business Needs
The size, capacity, and functions of your truck must be appropriate to your business or the industry it’s under. If your business is in petroleum transport, you need a reliable and fully functional tanker to carry fuel loads. Chemical transport is another business that needs tankers, but they have specialized designs and specifications for containing specific chemicals or substances. Home furnishing businesses need a box truck, specifically a wing truck, to load furniture of various sizes. Your business’s logistic requirements will serve as a reference for the size and type of truck you’ll be needing. The average travel distance should also be mapped out and identified. Businesses making local deliveries within city boundaries favor small to medium-sized trucks for easy maneuverability. Long-haul transportation businesses need larger models, especially sleeper trucks, for greater fuel capacity and efficiency. Sleeper compartments are vital to rest stops, as drivers must catch some z’s and be well-rested to continue the trip. Business needs assessment must also cover unexpected scenarios, such as temporary delivery volume spikes. While there is a need to increase the delivery capacity by adding more vehicles, looking for a truck to rent instead of buying one is a more economical approach. Truck rentals are great for temporarily augmenting delivery capacity during peak seasons or times of sudden delivery volume increase. Purchasing an additional truck seems more convenient, but keeping an asset with limited use becomes a liability in the long run. In the case of trucks, those that are usually parked in garages and see limited action tend to deteriorate faster than frequently used ones.
Bigger Isn’t Always Better
There are several reasons why size matters when choosing trucks for your business. Average load is one thing, as it is more efficient to haul items at near-full load capacity than to haul with so much unused space. Transporting loads of 600 to 1200 kg can be handled well by pickup trucks and vans. Heavier loads weighing five to seven tons need medium-duty trucks for efficient transport. Loads of 8 tons and above are up the alley of heavy-duty trucks. Garage, loading, and parking spaces are other reasons why going for big trucks isn’t always a good idea. Your delivery vehicle should be able to enter and offload items without issues. So if you’re delivering to a warehouse with a vertical clearance lower than 14 feet, better stick to pickup trucks and vans for easy access. On a related note, horizontal clearance should be at least 2 meters if you want a truck to fit a delivery area. Listing the dimensions of your delivery destinations and your garage, along with the average payload of deliveries, can help you find a truck that best fits the bill.
Fuel Efficiency Matters
Your business has operational costs to consider, so make sure the truck you choose doesn’t add to the cost burden. Look for trucks with high fuel efficiency and gas mileage, especially if you have frequent deliveries over long distances. You wouldn’t want a truck that chugs a lot of fuel but barely gets you to your destination. Cargo vans and small delivery trucks have gas mileages ranging from 15 to 20 miles per gallon (MPG) on average. Heavy-duty trucks, with their bigger sizes and heavier loads, have 6-8 MPG. These values can even go lower with stop-and-go traffic and elevated terrains, so planning optimal travel routes can help make the most of a truck’s fuel capacity.
Budget, Budget, Budget
What do you expect? Budgeting will be a never-ending topic in a business, especially if it involves acquiring a new truck. Just because you have shortlisted the ideal truck brands and types down to their specifications, it doesn’t mean you’ll get what you want. The budget you’ll be working with can influence the kind of truck you’re going to buy or lease. Truck prices vary widely, so take the time to research and compare different dealerships. Be open to financing options if the truck you badly need is out of your budget’s reach. A well-rounded budget calculation doesn’t just include the truck’s unit cost; insurance, maintenance, and repairs must also be accounted for. Another possibility to be open about is to sell your truck when it’s time to upgrade, so pick a model with a strong resale value.
Don’t Disregard Safety Features…Ever!
Trucks hold great power, and a greater responsibility lies with the people driving and owning them. Trucks are valuable assets to many businesses, so prioritize safety features to protect truck drivers, cargo, and other motorists. When visiting dealerships, look at the specifications and check if the truck has advanced safety technologies listed on its features. Features like dashcams, backup cameras, lane departure warnings, and blind spot camera systems should be included. Spacious sleeper cabins are also a requirement for long-haul trucks to prevent driver fatigue during long drives. Choosing trucks with high safety ratings shows your commitment to safe driving practices, boosting your business’s reputation.
Test Driving and Inspection
Don’t always take the dealer’s word for your truck’s performance; it’s better to get a feel of the vehicle yourself. Have a mental checklist on handling, comfort, and user-friendliness of various functions. If you’re buying a used truck, insist on requesting maintenance records and vehicle history reports to know if it underwent significant repairs or got involved in an accident. Once your test drive and inspection detect no issues, you get the green light to purchase.
Trucks are significant investments for boosting business operations, so don’t purchase them on a whim. Thorough research and assessments are needed, even going as far as considering their eventual resale value. There’s no need to be overwhelmed when you’re prepared and have all the information you need before the purchase. So choose well and get the truck that delivers not just cargo but growth for your business.