PECIFICATIONS
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Always insist on driving your potential purchase. If you were buying a car, you'd take it for a spin, and the same applies to the truck except it's more expensive and you expect to earn your living with it.
• Make sure you're insured or have trade plates, the dealer might have some plates but they'll need to come with you.
• If it's a tractor, ask to use the dealer's test trailer, or if your yard is close enough go and pick up one of your trailers with some weight in it will be the perfect real world test.
• Try a mixture of roads and speeds. Work your way up and down the box, always put the clutch to the floor when changing gear, if it struggles there it's on its way out. Check the steering doesn't pull to one side.
• A smoking exhaust is a sign it's burning oil. At standstill it's not so much of a problem, but try accelerating hard towards the top end of the gearbox if it smokes there, the engine is on its way out.
• Make sure the cruise control and any electrical equipment for mirrors, windows and air conditioning works.