Who hasn’t noticed that new Tool Trucks cost more each year. But don’t point a finger at the truck builder. The cleaner diesel engines are a large part of the price increase, and the body builders tossed an increase in there too. Liftgates, AC, diesel heaters, it’s all going up in price. And all these things raise the total price of a Tool Truck.
Did you know that most Tool Truck builders are happy to build an interior for you in a used truck or trailer? Most of the time if you want a new truck the builder arranges the whole thing. They stock or order the chassis, put a body on, build an interior, install liftgate and AC, etc. They will do all this for you at essentially no charge, because in reality the only part of the truck they make a profit on is the tool sales interior, the mobile tool store, as one builder likes to call it. The truck and body is 60%-65% of the total price of a tool truck, leaving the interior and added equipment to acount for the remaining 35%. With the price of a new 2010 International 4300 22′ chassis alone – no body – pushing $60,000, imagine how much you could save if you found a 3-year old 4300 for $30,000. In our example, we don’t have to imagine – you save $30,000 at least. This takes the “new” International from $120,000 to $90,000. You get a new Interior – that’s the important part – and a new Body, and save $30,000 or more in the process.
Don’t rule out finding a truck for your Truck Builder. The market has been soft, and there are trucks out there. You just have to make sure the truck has the right specs – a perfect place to leave off and talk about next time. Take care, Tom
