Evaluating trucks before purchase

After narrowing your choices down to a few models and dealers, it's time for the hands-on evaluation: set up a test drive of each of the trucks you're considering. Work with the dealer in advance so you put the truck through all of its paces.

A truck test drive should be a much more than a spin around the block. No matter what your usual type of driving is, you'll want to see how the truck performs in a wide variety of situations.

Take each rig out for at least a couple of hours and put it though a variety of situations: city and highway driving, low speed and high speed, flats and up and down grades. Make sure you do the test drive hauling a load similar to your typical job to see how the truck handles.

What to look for on a test drive
Whatever the truck's specs say, the real-world results are the most important. Start with your overall impression of the truck's performance: acceleration, handling, and braking. Does the truck respond to your input quickly? Is it predictable and controlled? Is gear shifting responsive and smooth?

Some specific areas to evaluate on your test drive:

• Maneuverability – back up to a loading dock, take tight turns in the city – how well does the truck respond? You may want to do some maneuvering in empty parking lots first to become familiar with the truck’s handling characteristics.

• Visibility – note how much you can see straight ahead and through the side windows. Also check the mirrors for blind spot coverage, and the dials and gauges to make sure they're visible and easy to read.
• Comfort – one reason to go for longer test drives is to judge the comfort and support of the driver's seat. Try to hit both bumpy roads and well-paved highways and compare your comfort. Look at the amount of room in the cabin, and see if all the controls are easy to reach and operate and if the noise level in the cabin allows normal conversation.
• Sleeper – If possible, try it out! After all, how often do you get to sleep on the job? Make sure you can comfortably fit in the bunk and that the mattress is comfortable. Also, check out sleeper-area climate controls, additional windows, secure storage areas, and room for electronics like TVs and DVD players.

Take notes if you want – if you're test driving 4 or 5 trucks, the details can get blurred. If you can, take each truck you test-drive to the same areas so you can draw accurate comparisons.