If you haven’t tried selling a used vehicle before, you may be at a loss on what to do before, during, and after you make a listing. And if you’ve sold a vehicle before, you may be wondering if you need to do anything differently when selling a different kind of vehicle. For instance, what if you’ve only sold family vehicles, and now you’re trying to sell a dump truck? 

The good news is, there are many helpful tips online to help you get the sale going, especially if those tips are based on tactics that professional salesmen themselves use. For instance, you can find how to determine if you’re dealing with a tire kicker and how to handle the whole thing. But before you get to that point, you’ll want to make sure you do everything you can to get ready to sell a dump truck.

Take Photos

While you do want to include as many important details when you create the listing for the dump truck, you shouldn’t disregard the importance of good quality photos. Before you take those photos, though, make sure that the truck is clean, both inside and outside. If it needs any repairs, find some time to have them done too. In short, you’ll want to ensure that the truck is in as good condition as it can be, no matter how old it currently is.

As for the photos, make sure you take some from different angles, and some close-up photos in addition to wide angle shots. These will be crucial in giving the viewer a very good idea of what the dump truck looks like. 

Determine the Price Range

Once you’ve made sure your dump truck is in good condition, then you can move on to determining how much you can ask for it. You don’t want to settle for an amount that’s too low, nor do you want to price it too high that potential buyers will get discouraged from asking about it. 

There are a number of websites that can help with this. Typically, all you have to do is answer a few questions about the dump truck. Be as truthful as you can, and when you’re done, you’ll have a better idea of how much to ask for the truck.

Put Together a Strong Advertisement

No one wants to see a “for sale” ad that doesn’t give a lot of information, so take the time to craft an advertisement that will give prospective buyers the information they need to come to a decision. 

As you can tell, you’ll have to include the basic information like the make and model of the dump truck and how long you’ve had it, and the not-so-basic information like any customizations done to it. Maintenance or repairs done as well as notes about its operating functions will be important, too, since these are things you can’t determine just by looking at the truck.

Of course, you shouldn’t forget to include your contact information. How can potential buyers get in touch with you, after all, if you don’t give them the means to?

Gather Important Documents

Before you can show the dump truck to interested buyers, you need to make sure you can back up or prove that what you included in the listing is all true. This means you have to gather any and all records detailing the maintenance and repair work you’ve had done for the truck.

These records will also serve to show how well you took care of the truck, and will give the eventual new owner a good idea of what problems could arise from regular wear and tear. They’ll also know, roughly, when they’ll have to bring the truck in for routine maintenance. 

Don’t Forget to Trade Questions

Even with all the information you provide on the listing, there are some questions that a buyer could think of that weren’t answered, so prepare yourself for them. Remember to ask some yourself, especially if you want to be sure you’re dealing with someone who’s really interested in the dump truck and not someone trying to take up all your time but not actually making a decision to purchase.

Such probing questions can usually be inserted in your conversation without you sounding suspicious or prying. Besides, an honest buyer won’t be put out and will think nothing of answering them. Just make sure you aren’t jumping to conclusions because of their answers; for all you know, they’re not the only person who has to give the go-ahead signal.

Go with Buyers on Test Drives

You can’t always be too careful when selling a used vehicle, and a dump truck is no exception. Tell prospective buyers that you want to be in the cab as well when they or a representative take the truck for a test drive. This will help prevent would-be thieves from simply heading off on a test drive and never coming back, leaving you without the promised payment and without a truck. 

As you can see, selling a dump truck can take a lot of preparation, but it will all be worth it when you find the right buyer. Even if your truck isn’t considered one of the best starter trucks for an owner-operator, someone out there needs just the truck you’re selling, so you have to help them find it.