Things to Consider When Buying a Commercial Truck in the Philippines

Trucking as a business can have its own unique set of challenges. But while setting up the business or your company has lot of complex decisions to be made, one of the most crucial ones you need to make is in buying your truck.

Trucks are the backbone of your trucking business. It is essentially your bread and butter. Your business will revolve around your vehicles so you need to be especially careful when buying trucks for your business.

What to Think About When Buying a Commercial Vehicle

If you are a business owner, you must have been thinking about buying a commercial truck for your company. However, this type of vehicle does not come cheap. It is a business expense that you should think about thoroughly. To ensure that you are making the right choice in buying a commercial truck in the Philippines, here are some of our tips for buying a truck:

Purpose

Think about why you’re buying your own truck. Will it be used by a moving company to transport goods from one place to another? Or will the truck be used for completing works in construction areas?

You should think about this factor because not all trucks are the same. Each one is manufactured to serve a specific purpose, so it is important that you determine this before you buy a heavy-duty truck.

Do The Research

Once you understand why you’re buying a truck, you can start doing your research on the brands and models that you think will suit your operations. Remember that not all trucks are made equal. Different trucks will have a different set of features, different safety profiles, and different price points. Understanding what you need will be essential to your purchasing process – it can also prevent you from getting overwhelmed.

Read up on the specifications of each truck. One thing you can do, which can help you is to check user reviews. The opinions and views of people who have used the trucks you’re eyeing. They will have a more informed perspective and could even give objective opinions. 

If you are upgrading or buying a replacement for an existing truck, list down what you like or don’t like with the current truck you have and use that list when looking at the available trucks within your price point. 

Trucks Capabilities

There are a lot of trucks available on the market. As you go online and look at the different models and brands out there, you may get overloaded with options.

For example, if you’re looking to expand your company’s delivery services to other parts of the Philippines, you’ll need to invest in a long haul truck. But, seeing as there are thousands of options available, you’ll want to filter your search to accommodate your company’s terrain, weight, and job requirements.

Business Requirements

When you’re looking for a truck, you’ll see that there are a variety of options available. Numerous refrigeration, long haul, and construction trucks are available in the Philippines. Depending on your company’s requirements and the jobs you take on, you’ll need to find a truck that’s designed for the task.

Weight of the Load You Are Transporting

Similar to their purpose, trucks are made differently depending on the weight they can and are supposed to carry. When you decide to purchase a truck for your business, you should consider its gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) which is set by the truck’s manufacturer-distributor.

A vehicle’s GVWR refers to its maximum operating weight. This includes the weight of the truck’s chassis, body, engine, engine fluids, fuel, driver, accessories, and cargo.

Checking the truck’s GVWR before purchasing one will allow you to avoid safety issues, which can cause you to incur additional costs. Staying within the vehicle’s set GVWR will also prevent the truck’s parts from early wear and tear.

It’s also good to remember that some roads in the Philippines have a strict weight limit that must be followed to preserve the state of the roads. If your vehicle must complete a certain task, you’ll need to make sure that it meets these limits.

Driving Conditions

Before you purchase a vehicle for your business, you need to know about the terrain where your truck will be passing through. Ask your team and your clients whether the route will involve going through challenging terrains like unpaved roads, muddy paths, and rocky terrains.

Once you have this information on hand, you can decide whether you should invest in a two-wheel drive or a four-wheel drive unit.

Consider Comfort

If you’re thinking of buying a commercial truck so you can start your logistics business in the Philippines, you should also look at its cab size and seats. The vehicle should be spacious, and its seat must be soft enough to keep your trucking employees comfortable throughout their drive.

Aside from being a bonus for your staff, thinking about the comfortableness of your truck will allow them to better focus on the job. If the truck is roomy and comfortable, your driver will not be distracted by how hard their seat is or how cramped the cabin is. They can instead concentrate on driving and avoiding accidents.

Although more comfortable trucks might be more expensive, choosing one will help you save more money in the long run. This is possible because a comfortable driver is a focused one, who can keep the vehicle and cargo safe, prevent accidents, and help you avoid medical and repair costs.

Safety Features

The best truck to buy is one that offers the safety features and technologies you need. Safety is of paramount importance especially when it comes to trucks. Don’t skimp on these features to ensure that your driver and the people on the road are safe. 

Choose a Reputable Brand

Buying a transport trucks in the Philippines that’s manufactured by an established brand will allow you to have peace of mind. This is because brands that have been in the industry for a long time are reliable enough to achieve such a feat. Most probably, they have manufactured vehicles that have been trusted by various businesses for several years.

If you are considering getting a vehicle from a trusted and established brand, you should consider UD Trucks. UD Trucks offers high-quality medium- to heavy-duty trucks that will suit all your business needs.

Price of the Commercial Truck

Another important factor you should consider is the price of the vehicle. You should know that commercial trucks are not cheap, but it does not mean that you must spend a fortune to get one. You can get a quality vehicle without spending above your budget. However, you should be wary of truck dealers that offer incredibly cheap units. There is a chance that the vehicles they offer are cheap because of an undisclosed problem or issue.

Work With a Reputable Truck Dealer

To prevent being ripped off, make sure that you work with a trustworthy commercial truck dealer who can also assist you in choosing the right truck type and model for your business. A dependable dealer will also make the buying process easier on your behalf. They will take care of the necessary steps to reduce the hassle on your part.

Choosing a reputable truck dealer will also allow you to become more confident in your decision of buying a truck. This is because a reliable dealer will always put your interests first. They will always be honest with you and not think solely about gaining profits.

You should also look for a truck dealer that will provide you with exceptional after-sales services. They should be able to offer maintenance and repair services to keep your truck running and on the road.

One such truck dealer is Civic Merchandising Inc.. We have accessible service centers where you can easily bring your truck wherever you are in the country. Contact us today to know more about our services and offerings.