It can be stressful when a refrigerated truck breaks down and the business needs to find a replacement quickly. Decisions like these should not be rushed into, but carefully thought out. Below we discuss the factors customers should consider when renting a truck or purchasing new or second-hand refrigerated trucks for sale.
Circumstances
One of the main circumstances affecting the decision will be why the business needs a refrigerated truck. If one of them has suddenly broken down, there probably isn’t time to wait for a new one to be built as this can take a few months. Renting a refrigerated truck or buying a second-hand one will be quicker and therefore a better option in this case.
If the business is simply adding a refrigerated truck to the fleet, there will likely be more time. Therefore new, second-hand and rental trucks could all be options.
Another factor that should be considered is budget. New trucks are a significant capital investment and often require financing. In comparison, rental and second-hand trucks are less so. If the business has a tight budget, it may be better to rent than buy any new refrigerated trucks for sale.
Whether the business needs a custom refrigerated truck is also a factor. Rental and second-hand trucks are already built to a standard design. New trucks however can be made to suit the businesses’ needs. This can include multiple side doors, tailgates and rear roller doors.
Finally, brand preferences should be considered. If the business only wants to have a particular brand of chassis or fridge, they should avoid renting or buying second-hand refrigerated trucks for sale. This is because it will be very hard to find one that meets the preferences. They may have to compromise. On the other hand, when buying a new refrigerated truck from Eurocold, we can build it to meet the businesses’ preferences.
Pros and Cons
The pros and cons of buying any new or second-hand refrigerated trucks for sale, as well as renting need to be considered before action is taken.
The pros of buying new refrigerated trucks for sale are, that it can be fully customised to your specific needs, it comes with a full manufacturer’s warranty, there are minimum maintenance costs as it is a brand-new vehicle, and customers can be brand specific. This is because like being customisable, the chassis and refrigerator brands can be chosen by the customer.
The cons of buying a new refrigerated truck are the wait time and cost. As mentioned previously, new trucks can take months to build and not every business can afford to wait that long for a vehicle. This is particularly true if it needs to replace a truck that has broken down right away. Additionally, not every business will have room in their budget to purchase a brand new truck or want to get financing.
In comparison, the positives of purchasing a second-hand vehicle are the wait time and the cost. This is a cheaper option that may not require financing and will fit in more businesses’ budgets. It is certainly the more affordable option. Second-hand vehicles are also available in a relatively short timeframe.
Cons of buying a second-hand refrigerated truck are, that it does not have a manufacturers or statutory warranty, it may have possible unknown mechanical issues, it can’t be customised, it may not meet the customer’s brand preferences, and it will have more wear and tear and therefore need more maintenance. Second-hand vehicles should always be independently checked before being purchased.
Finally, the pros of renting a refrigerated truck are similar to second-hand as it is cheaper and has a shorter waiting time than a new truck. It also does not need to be financed, is flexible as it is easy to return or exchange if your needs change, it has no maintenance costs as that is taken care of by the rental company, and there is no asset on the books of the business that could be a liability.
Some businesses may prefer to use rental trucks for a small run that is only one day a week. In this instance, buying a new truck and spending a large amount of money on it where it is not used very much would not be economical.
The cons of renting a refrigerated truck are that it is not customisable and that it may not meet the customer’s brand preferences.
Conclusion
Overall, there are many factors, pros and cons that should be considered when renting or buying new or second-hand refrigerated trucks for sale. These will differ depending on the needs of the business and customer preferences. Ideally where possible, a business should use a combination of new, second-hand and rental refrigerated trucks. This brings diversity to the fleet and helps to ensure that trucks are still available if a few were to break down.