Recently I was waiting at a stop light, and I happened to notice a van in the left turn lane next to me. A Ford E-Series van painted white. There are countless thousands of these vehicles on the road at any given time, and normally they don’t attract any attention. But this one was wearing the graphics of a food service company, and it was in terrible shape with rusty rocker panels, a fist-size rust-hole in the side, flaking and missing paint over the rear wheel arch, and a rear bumper covered in rust.
I get it, times are hard and it’s an expensive proposition to replace a commercial truck with a new one, and with the current shortage of new inventory on hand it’s a difficult one as well. But what if there was another way?
If you run a small business your company vehicles are mobile billboards, which you can utilize to drive business. But if your van looks as if it’s one step away from the junk yard, regardless of how good it may be mechanically, it’s not a good look for your business. Even less so if you are involved in food service of some kind. Would you want to do business with a company that presents itself in such a manner?
There is a more economical solution. If you have not considered buying used, then it might be an option worth exploring. The expected lifespan of a commercial vehicle, mechanically, might be in the region of 300,000 to 400,000 miles, but rust will take hold of it by around 200,000 miles or so unless it has been rustproofed, but who does that these days? Many larger companies will lease their truck fleet, and they replace vehicles on a regular basis, which means that there is a steady flow of used vans, work trucks, bucket trucks, cube vans and the like are coming through dealer auctions that are in excellent condition. In addition, the State of Wisconsin requires that each pre-owned vehicle must undergo a thorough safety inspection before being offered for sale, which helps give the buyer peace of mind about a purchase.
If you are looking to expand your fleet of trucks, then buying pre-owned can be a comparatively inexpensive way to increase your presence, and in addition we service everything that we sell.
We have a satellite location, Hall Automotive, in Waukesha which specializes in pre-owned commercial vehicles, including service body trucks, box vans, dump trucks, bucket trucks of all sizes, and more. Each vehicle is reconditioned as needed, both mechanical and bodywork, so that they look as good as they drive. We are able to have vehicles sign written or apply custom vinyl graphics if required, and if you need a particular specification, we can work to find exactly what you are looking for.
Speak to either John or Jessie at Hall Automotive on 414-778-1500, and we will help you to find your next truck!
