CAREER Smart

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rea·son

noun

/ˈrēzən/

1.a cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event.

ex·cuse

noun

/ikˈskyo͞os/

1.a reason or explanation put forward to defend or justify a fault or offense.

There isn’t much difference between a reason and an excuse, the only differences are intent or action. We can all come up with excuses to put off a major purchase. Maybe you have valid reasons for delaying, or maybe they are just excuses. If you truly cannot afford it, then yes, you have valid reasons for prolonging the purchase. If your reason is that you are worried about the future markets, maybe that’s just an excuse. 

Buying a new or used truck can be an expensive undertaking, however, something that many do not see is the added benefits that come with it. If your older equipment has become unreliable, maybe it’s time to stop making excuses and upgrade your truck. 

Upgrading does not mean you have to buy new, although there are many benefits to a new truck. A new or newer truck will most likely get better MPGs than your current truck. Newer trucks are less likely to leave you stranded on the side of the road. Newer trucks that are more dependable will provide more uptime to earn revenue rather than more shop time and high repair bills along with a loss of revenue. Newer trucks require less preventive maintenance (PM services).

Before making excuses as to why you cannot upgrade your equipment, open your mind and do some research. When you add up the savings in MPG and maintenance, couple that with the increased uptime and fewer repair and tow bills, the advantages of a new or newer truck becomes more clear. Don’t let the markets determine your needs when it comes to making a much-needed purchase for your business. Even in a down market, there are plenty of owner-operators thriving. If you let excuses run your business, you will run out of them when you run yourself out of business. 

Best time to buy a truck? When you need it. Markets will fluctuate. You can always find an excuse to NOT buy a truck. Find reasons to succeed rather than excuses for why you fail.

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Greg Huggins

Greg has been in the trucking industry since the late 1980s. After spending 25+ years as an owner operator with United Van Lines, he leased to Landstar Express America in 2014. Greg is always trying to learn something new and share what he has learned with others.

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