There are lots of jobs where a work truck is necessary or required. If you need a new work truck but are not looking to put down too much money, a used work truck may be the right choice for you. When purchasing a used truck, you want to inspect it closely to ensure that the truck is in good shape and will not require too much additional work or expensive maintenance on your end.
1. Run a Background Check
When purchasing a used vehicle, you should always run a background check on the vehicle. In order to run a back ground check on the vehicle, you are going to need the VIN number of the vehicle. There are a variety of different sites that allow you to run the VIN number and get a report.
A VIN number based report will let you know about any accidents that were reported to the insurance company, as well as any repair work that the auto body shop reported. Some shops report all repairs to the databases that are used to create VIN reports.
2. Ask for Service Records
You can't find out everything about a vehicle from a VIN report, which is why you should ask for the service record of the vehicle. A detailed service record will let you know if the truck got the oil changed on time and if all necessary maintenance was performed when it should have been. Service records will also let you know if there were any major or unexpected maintenance and repairs done to the vehicle.
A vehicle that has been well taken care of with a detailed service report more than likely has a well-taken care of engine that will last you for thousands of more miles assuming you take proper care of it.
3. Give it a Test Driver
Never buy a vehicle without taking it for a test drive. If you are serious about buying the vehicle, see if you can take it on a test drive that is longer than just around the block. When you really want to purchase a vehicle, you want to test it out in a variety of conditions, such as on the freeway and in the city. See if you can get on the freeway and go fast with the car and drive around the city a bit. You want to accelerate hard and get the engine and transmission warmed up so that you can see how the truck really drives.
Pay attention to how the truck steers and how it shifts gears. Be sure to test out the brakes. Pay attention to how things feel. If you notice any weird feelings or sounds, get it checked out.
4. Get an Inspection
Any serious auto dealership will allow you to take your vehicle to an auto mechanic to have it inspected before you purchase the vehicle. In many states, dealerships are required by law to let you have a third party inspect the vehicle for you.
Take your vehicle to an auto body shop and let them know you want to get an inspection. Most shops offer an "89-point inspection" or something along those terms. These inspections usually take a few hours to complete and will let you know the condition of everything on the vehicle, as well as what would need to be done to get the vehicle to a perfect condition possible.
When looking at purchasing a used truck, an inspection can really help you determine what kind of shape the vehicle is in and what type of work you would need to put into the vehicle in the future.
If you need a new truck for work, go with a used truck. Be sure to get the VIN and service records so you have an accurate idea of how the vehicle was taken care of. Take the vehicle for a good test drive, and get it inspected before you go through with the purchase. To learn more about used work trucks, contact a company like Corporate Auto Wholesale.