When buying a new class 8 truck, you should always consider the fact that it will be a used truck someday. Oftentimes new truck purchasers are only concerned with the cost of the truck at the time of purchase and not on the resale value of a class 8 truck. This is a “lost art” in the business of trucking. There is nothing like buying a brand new truck with peace of mind that there is a warranty in place covering many miles of ‘trouble free’ driving.
One of the biggest mistakes made is not considering the “second life” of the truck. The key ingredients for a very sought after pre owned piece of equipment are very inexpensive at time of building and ordering a new truck. Many factory installed options are inexpensive compared to aftermarket installed options, and in many cases some requests cannot be installed at a later date.
There are many things to consider when building a brand new truck and making this transaction. A few examples include:
- The type of transmission
- Including full lockers (especially for day cabs)
- The proper engine horsepower
- Including the extended warranty
These are all options that would NOT be very costly at the time of purchase, however, they will pay BIG dividends when trading in or selling the truck. These items will open up the afterlife options to a much larger audience than just one sector of the trucking world and are always going to be sought after in any economy.
I urge everyone to consider the END GAME when building and ordering a new piece of equipment. Here at JX we have many 20 year veteran salesmen that will show you different scenarios to keep the truck affordable, but also make the resale value of a class 8 truck worth more at time of trade or sale. This will greatly affect the cost of ownership and swing it into your favor.
If you are interested in ordering a new truck please contact our sales team at your local JX. And if you are in the market for a new or used truck you can view our inventory here, chat with our sales team online, or call (833)-4JXTRUCK (833-459-8782) if you have any questions.
