Looking through ads for landscaping trucks can be a tedious and wildly diverse journey. A landscaping truck can be as simple as a pickup truck that will hold a lawn mower and various tools, or as complex as a specialized rig with compartments and tie-downs to hold a multitude of equipment and accessories in place. These utility trucks, like other vehicles, are for sale in either new or used condition, through a variety of venues. It may take some preparation and then time to find the best landscape trucks for your work.
Used Landscaping Trucks for Sale
If the business is just starting, it may be more practical to purchase a used landscaping truck. As with any vehicle, careful research is a must before you commit to a used landscape truck for sale or any used landscape vehicle for sale for that matter. The type of mileage, rather than the number of miles, is often a good indication of the condition of the truck. Was the truck used to travel only road and highway miles, or was it used to access remote areas? A truck that has been driven through fields, over rocks, through streams, or other rough terrain will have a considerable amount of unusual wear to its undercarriage that may not be readily apparent without a thorough inspection.
The local newspaper lists numerous vehicles for sale, including bucket trucks for sale and various commercial trucks. While the ads themselves are not usually very descriptive due to space constraints, they will still provide useful information. For example, one can check the list prices for the various trucks by year and average them together to form a good idea what he can expect to pay for those particular landscaping trucks. Also, most items for sale in a local newspaper are local, making it easy to physically examine the vehicle, prior to purchase.
Craig’s List, eBay motors, AutoTrader and Vehix.com are excellent sources for online vehicle shopping and offer pictures of the vehicles as well as unlimited text descriptions.
Craig’s List is a catch-all forum where one can purchase anything from a domain name to a dirt bike. Bargains can be found there, but use caution and common sense prior to committing to a purchase. Craig’s List is mostly unmonitored, so sometimes it is difficult to discern the serious buyers and sellers from the scammers.
EBay does a more thorough job of monitoring its buyers and sellers, and it has a special site, eBay Motors, dedicated to buying and selling vehicles.
Vehix.com and AutoTrader.com are wholly dedicated to vehicles, often providing video in addition to pictures, and offering other services such as a CarFax report when available. This should go without saying, but remember when you’re dealing with used landscaping trucks, you should always check the vehicle with CarFax and when appropriate the Kelly Blue Book.
This may difficult when you seek very specialized equipment, such as landscaping dump trucks for sale. The capacity, suspension and chassis of a vehicle used for landscape design can be quite a bit different than your usual roster of used trucks in ebay Motors or the like. This is why looking local is still necessary even in this age of Internet shopping. And don’t be too hesitant to consider brands like Mitsubishi, Volvo or Isuzu. Such make and models are more common in commercial truck services than you may be used to seeing if you’re new to the landscaping trucks industry. Also don’t hesitate to get more use of your existing truck fleet with specialized hitch and trailer systems.
New Landscaping Trucks for Sale
Buying a new landscaping truck is certainly easier than finding a used truck. A new truck will come with all of the features that the business requires and will be backed by a factory warranty and a reputable dealership. However, it will cost more than buying a used vehicle.
Both Ford Motors and GMC have a divisions for commercial-use trucks. These trucks feature tie-downs for mowers and other heavy equipment and a dump truck style bed that tilts upward. This feature enables the operator to safely drive riding mowers and other motorized equipment off of the back of the truck. If you implement flatbeds for trucks, be sure you also implement the amusingly-named but still vital headache rack.
Isuzu’s commercial vehicle division offers an open bed and rigging that extends over the cab to lash equipment such as weed whackers to the body of the vehicle. The cab is even large enough to safely carry a 7-person crew. Its tight turning radius gives this truck superior handling performance in small spaces.
Buyers have numerous purchase options available to them. Once a buyer decides to purchase a landscaping truck, it is worth looking at both used and new markets to find the best fit. But by checking out all your options — newspaper, online or auctions — you should be able to find a decent selection of landscaping trucks.
Let Someone Else Handle the Depreciation of Your Landscaping Equipment
There is an adage that states that new vehicles driven off of a dealership lot are worth 80% of what they were worth on the lot. This is certainly true when it comes to resale, and accountants refer to this as depreciation.
Depreciation of business tools can often be written off, but the money still comes out of the bank account of any business while they own the vehicle. The first year of ownership generally sees the most depreciation in terms of dollars, followed by the second, and then the third. This means that someone purchasing used landscaping trucks should avoid purchasing relatively new models if they are adverse to losing value in their vehicle.
Buyer Beware With Used Trucks
It might seem that purchasing older used landscaping trucks is the best idea for those adverse to spending too much money on their landscaping venture, but there is something else to consider. Simply put, the question is why is any given landscaping truck is on the market. Remember when you find used landscaping trucks for sale, they’re being sold for a reason.
In some cases the answer seems fairly clear; perhaps the seller is retiring from the landscaping business, they have used the maximum number of years for tax deductible depreciation allowable and are moving on to a new vehicle, or something else that seems logical. The question is: does their reason make sense?
If a landscaping business is going out of business, could it be because they continually show up late or do not show up at all thanks to unreliable transportation? If the seller bought a new vehicle, is it because there is something wrong with their old used bucket trucks? Could the vehicle have been in an accident or otherwise damaged badly and repaired?
Protect Yourself When Investing in Used Landscaping Trucks
Since there is a reasonable chance that anyone selling used landscaping trucks is doing so because they have problems with the vehicle, it would be wise to consider taking a few precautions. First, ensure that any used landscaping vehicle truly meets your needs and the needs of your landscaping business. Do you really need medium duty trucks, used commercial trucks, dump trucks or custom landscaping trucks and are you absolutely certain? Have you considered the new versions available from major manufacturers like Isuzu or Ford? Can you make do with smaller trucks with trailers or do you need a heavy duty truck?
Second, consider getting a vehicle history report through CarFax that would indicate whether the truck in question had been involved in any accidents, subject to recalls, or damaged seriously in any way. And make sure any previous loan on the vehicle has been paid in full before considering it.
And third it is vital you have a trusted mechanic perform a thorough inspection on any used landscape trucks before purchase. This is true for vehicles for personal use as well as for used landscaping trucks. Also remember to ensure that the vehicle is not painted with the markings of the other company, or a new paint job will have to be factored into the purchasing decision.
As long as you are careful and take a few precautions, used landscaping trucks can be a great way to either start or expand your business.