Which heavy truck should you buy if you want to start your own business? Commercial vehicle buyers are changing their vehicle selection strategy. Reliability, long service life, and residual value in the aftermarket are becoming more important than the base price.
Bigger, better, or more expensive
Advising on choosing a truck off-hand is not a very thankful and often useless task. Any of them has its shortcomings, which become obvious after intensive use, and you still have to struggle with them. Every truck has its fans who will stand up for the Union Jack for their vehicle, no matter what the critics claim.
The correct way to look at the search is for three conditional destinations:
- domestically manufactured vehicles
- Euro seven lorries (MAN, Mercedes, Volvo, DAF, Iveco, Scania, Renault).
- American vehicles.
So what to do? Initially, it is worth considering, of course, KAMAZ, a manufacturer that has recently been confidently knocking on the doors of the leaders, reminiscent of its long-lasting ties with the Daimler group.
But KAMAZ is far from Mercedes. For example, it makes no sense to recall the frequent problems with GUR, the destruction of hub bearings in the 5490 series, and a number of other minor problems with these trucks. However, due to differences in assembly, the KamAZs have shown themselves well in the newest assembly versions.
Which lorry to choose for business
The characteristics that go into forming the cost of owning a truck need to be considered together. When buying a car, it is necessary to understand how much it will cost to maintain it in a service center, the price of insurance, and the availability of spare parts.
Considering the constant growth of fuel costs, it is necessary to consider the consumption of petrol or diesel fuel by car. It is also important to choose a modification with higher or lower internal combustion engine power to estimate the amount of transport tax.
Operating costs for trucks for several (3-5) years can repeatedly overlap the difference in the car’s original cost. As a result, the benefit of buying a cheaper model is often offset by high operating costs and a small residual value of these trucks.
Interesting facts
There is an opportunity to save a significant amount of money when purchasing. For example, the cost of 5490 Neo is about 64000 US dollars (prices vary depending on the modification, parameters, and current market situation). However, by leasing the car, the client receives a discount from the manufacturer, a subsidy from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and a VAT refund on lease payments.
You also get a discount on body insurance and free maintenance (at least at first). But there are minuses and significant ones.
European-made lorries are another matter. Mercedes, exorbitantly expensive Volvo, and DAF are not what they used to be. Trucks of this trend are similar to each other. They are more difficult for the environment; engine life is shorter, and automated driving and robotized boxes are used.
It is impossible to approach a modern tipper or tractor without a scanner. So, new vehicles must still be taken to the dealer for maintenance, and the electrical system must be repaired there. European manufacturers are not very keen to increase the number of dealers. And the dealerships themselves are not interested in selling new cars. The reasons for this are as simple as the dashboard of a proven Soviet GAZ-53.