New or Used: Here's how you decide which truck to buy.

There are many factors in determining whether or not to purchase a new truck. There's no simple answer for everyone because we're all coming at it from different angles. Years ago, the large carriers would get new vehicles every 3 to 5 years, thus flooding the used market with trucks. Now, with all the recent advancements in fuel economy and emissions, some of the large carriers are shortening their life cycles as they've found it more advantageous to remarket their trucks after 2 years and recoup a cost savings by the vast fuel efficiency that a Freightliner Cascadia Evolution will give them.

Then you have the option to buy a glider. These are new trucks that have rebuilt and remanufactured powertrains. They can cost 25% less than a comparable new truck and are often exempt from the 12% FET (Federal Excise Tax). Most come with a rebuilt Detroit 12.7L Series 60 engine and as of late have been having a lot of problems. Some believe that this is due to the high demand for these engine blocks and the mismatch of components as the supply has tightened.

As a predominantly regional owner-operator, I prefer to buy used trucks. To be more precise, I recommend a SelecTruck as they have gone through rigorous inspections and are even available with a warranty.

The math must make sense no matter what choice you make. By that I mean you must calculate your cost to operate for each truck you're considering buying. If you already have a truck, you should know this anyway.

Your cost to operate your truck per mile is based on:

Truck payments
Truck insurance
Fuel cost
Fuel economy
Maintenance cost

There are more items that make up a cost per mile, but they would be the same no matter what truck you drive. Things like cell phones, load boards, etc... The ones mentioned above will differ from truck to truck so they must be considered.

Once you've determined your cost per mile to operate your current truck, calculate your new truck choice cost per mile. Of course your payment will go up and your insurance will do up but more than likely so you will your fuel economy. And your maintenance costs will go down. So a new truck can save you money depending on what you're coming from. I've talked to someone who left a classic style truck and bought a brand new Freightliner Cascadia Evolution. The fuel savings alone made the payments for the truck. Sometimes you have to look at it that way.

In review, consider these things when deciding on a used or new truck:

New Truck