Jason Church, a member of the purchasing department at Arrow Truck Sales, has seen a lot of trucks in his life. Whether it’s prior roles as a salesman and branch manager, or his role today, the man has done a lot of deals on used commercial vehicles.
When it comes to resale value, Church has some suggestions on how to get the most out of your used truck.
“Whether it’s a truck, a car, a bass boat, a house, people like to buy nice things,” said Church. “When you look at two different trucks, and they came from the same place, and two different people had control of its outcome. If one is clean, the bumper got scratched but they took care of it when they could, and the tires match.”
Beyond keeping things clean and consistent, Church also preaches proactivity. “Making sure there’s not oil leaks to the ground. If you get a simple oil leak today, just fix it. It becomes a massive leak down the road and sprays all over the truck.”
It can be tempting to collect insurance money on minor issues and not resolve issues with the truck, but Church cautions against that. “If you get dinged. Instead of taking the insurance money and saying ‘When things slow down, I’ll get it fixed’. Just get it fixed.”
Church mentions that if at all possible, resolving issues in a timely fashion is important. “I know there are bills to pay, there is a reality to everything, but if you can’t stop right make sure you do.”
A proactive approach to cleaning and maintaining your truck will help improve the resale value when it comes time to sell. “Keep it clean, keep it nice. It speaks volumes and pays more when you do it.”
Watch the full episode here: