Five hot tips for selling used trucks on trucksales

Sadly, buyers often overlook many used truck listings mainly due to poor image quality.

What’s more, a lack of information about your truck or inaccurate vehicle specifications will also lead buyers to pass over your listing and continue browsing.

Unfortunately for sellers, they stand to lose thousands of potential dollars, or their trucks fail to sell in a timely manner.

But don’t be disheartened. If you’re looking to sell your pre-loved workhorse, then the following suggestions will significantly improve your chances of selling your used truck promptly.

Whatever reason it is for selling your truck, it is essential to cover all bases before rushing in and uploading a trucksales listing.

If you’ve got a late-model truck, you’re in luck! Demand for low-kilometre late-model used trucks is very high at present.

Spending time fixing any little problems is a wise investment. It’s amazing how the small investment in a new set of plastic rear guards and mudflaps will significantly enhance the appeal of the used truck.

Tidy up loose wiring, and repair any air and oil leaks. Tyres are equally essential on an older truck as they are expensive items; a complete set of new drive tyres can cost upwards of $8000.

If you don’t have regular oil sample records, the investment in oil samples will reveal a lot of information about the engine, transmission and final drive’s health, which will greatly help the buyer make an informed purchase decision. Having a documented oil sample attracts buyers.

A dirty, poorly presented truck speaks volumes about how the vehicle was treated during its past life and certainly won’t appeal to many buyers.

Trucks need to look good, especially if you’re looking to get a reasonable price for their sale in a competitive market. In addition to looking good in the flesh, the truck will also have to look exceptionally sharp in photos, especially for sites like trucksales, where you can post multiple images for your listing.

First impressions are all-important whenever you’re trying to sell something, regardless of what it might be.

The new truck business calls it a ‘showroom’ appeal. It’s the impression a truck has on potential buyers when they first walk into the showroom.

New truck salespeople know that when they impress a customer with a good-looking truck at that moment, they are off to a flying start selling the truck. The same principles apply when selling a used truck.

Impress the prospective buyer when they walk down your driveway and see the used truck for the first time, and you’ve got a far better chance of making a sale.

You can detail the truck inside and out yourself or pay for a cleaning service. But, make sure your truck is thoroughly clean, that the tyres have tyre shine, and, if possible, alloy polished before you take any photographs for your listing. The investment in preparing a well-presented vehicle will return the most significant reward.

Most trucking companies keep reasonable records because of good business practices and COR compliance. Collating the vehicle’s repair and service history and all the receipts give buyers a clear picture of the vehicle’s mechanical condition.

These documents will significantly assist a new buyer in budgeting for future engine, transmission or final drive rebuilds. In addition, have the original owner’s manual, registration papers, your original purchase agreement as proof of ownership, and disclosure of any finance owing on the truck.

On the other hand, if you did not service your truck regularly, you could be in a bit of a pickle, as buyers tend to pass over vehicles with incomplete or no service records.

When it comes to warranty, all new trucks come with standard warranty packages, but some buyers often opt for extended driveline warranty packages. In most cases, the balance of the new warranty is transferable to the new owner when sold as a second-hand vehicle. Indeed, an advantage to highlight.

One way to have a write-up that will grab buyers’ attention is to research the used truck market. Spend some time reviewing used truck listings. You will gain a lot of valuable information that will assist you in creating a listing that stands out from the crowd.

One handy hint is to note how many listings of the same model truck as yours. Also, pay attention to the average price of similar truck models, their mileage, and how long since the engine was rebuilt. In the end, consider what information and wording in various listing descriptions grabbed your attention.

Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. First, consider what information you would want to see if you were looking at buying the vehicle yourself. Once you’ve done this preliminary research, creating an appealing listing for your truck that attracts buyers will be much easier.

As more millennials take over running the family trucking operations from the older generations, they are fast becoming the new generation of buyers. This new breed of buyers is up to speed with the latest technology and fast proving to be more demanding customers.

Millennials are not frightened by new technology; they know how to work it and extract the best out of it. Many won’t even consider a used truck without that technology – they will just move on.

Regarding pricing, as a seller, you need to have realistic expectations that match the current market when setting your price range. Do your market research beforehand by comparing pricing and industry trends for comparable equipment. Then, look at your truck objectively and ask yourself how much you would pay for it. When it comes to price, a used truck needs to look like good value buying.

Heed this critical piece of advice. It also pays to seek your accountant’s advice on tax implications and capital gains before finalising the sale price of your truck. For example, trying to sell your vehicle for $100K is pointless, only to find you have to fork out $50K in capital gains tax. You’re better off selling it for $65K and paying no capital gains tax. So definitely worth talking to your accountant.

As mentioned earlier, first impressions play a significant part in the purchase decision. Importantly, when selling privately, good quality images can hasten a sale.

Don’t be afraid to take plenty of photos of the exterior, interior, sides, front, back and details. In fact, the more images, the better.

When photographing your truck, look for unsightly and distracting items in the background; a neutral background will highlight your truck better and make your listing more appealing.

Also, look where the sun is in relation to any dark shadows cast on the vehicle; don’t be afraid to move the truck to a better location to improve the image quality. Finally, if you’re using your phone camera, hold the phone in landscape format; this action will ensure the images fit correctly on website listings.

Now you’ve got your quality snaps, completed your research and written a catchy description, it’s time to upload your listing.

Remember that once your truck is listed, respond to enquiries promptly. If you delay responding to a buyer’s request, they will likely go elsewhere. So, where possible, reply swiftly in answering questions on the phone or via message. Even if you advise them, you’ll get back to them later with more information. A fast response makes a big difference.

Happy selling!