How to Choose the Right Truck

The right truck is the one that does your job legally, safely and at the lowest cost per kilometre or per tonne moved. It is rarely the biggest, the newest or the most powerful truck you can afford. Work through these questions in order and you will end up with a specification you can shop against.

1. What are you carrying, and how much of it?

Start with the load: its weight, its volume and how it is loaded. Dense loads such as gravel, steel or water run out of weight before space; light, bulky loads such as furniture or packaged goods run out of space first. Note your typical load and your heaviest realistic load, then add the weight of the body, any crane or tailgate loader, fuel and crew. That total has to sit within the truck's GVM with some margin, and payload is GVM minus everything the truck weighs empty.

2. Which body type suits the work?

• Tray and flat deck: general freight, machinery and building materials loaded by forklift or crane.
• Pantech and curtainsider: enclosed freight; curtainsiders load from the side by forklift, pantechs from the rear.
• Refrigerated: food and pharmaceuticals; check the fridge unit's age, hours and temperature range.
• Tipper: bulk materials such as soil, sand and gravel. See our tipper truck buying guide.
• Crane truck and hook-lift: self-loading work, bins and containers.
• Tilt tray and beavertail: carrying vehicles and machinery.
• Prime mover: towing semi-trailers, B-doubles and road trains. See our prime mover buying guide.
• Cab chassis: a bare chassis for a custom body built to your needs.

3. Which size and licence class?

Size is mostly set by GVM, and GVM sets the licence your drivers need: up to 4.5 t on a car licence, over 4.5 t to 8 t on a light rigid (LR) licence, over 8 t with two axles on medium rigid (MR), three or more axles on heavy rigid (HR), and prime movers or heavy trailers on heavy combination (HC) or multi-combination (MC). If your drivers hold car licences only, a truck at or under 4.5 t GVM may be the practical limit. Light trucks cover most delivery and trade work.

4. How many axles, and which drive?

Axle configuration is written as wheels by driven wheels: a 4x2 has one drive axle, a 6x4 has two drive axles at the rear (tandem drive), and an 8x4 has twin steer axles and tandem drive. More axles carry more weight legally and give better traction on soft ground, at the cost of tare weight, tyres and purchase price. A 4x4 or 6x6 suits genuine off-road and fire or mining work.

5. Engine, transmission and fuel use

Match the engine to the job: enough power and torque to hold speed on the hills you run at the weights you carry, without paying for and fuelling capacity you never use. Automated manual transmissions (AMTs) now dominate new trucks and suit most drivers; traditional manuals are still preferred by some operators in heavy haulage. For city work, consider turning circle, visibility and cab access as much as horsepower.

6. Where and how will it run?

• City delivery: manoeuvrability, a low cab step, good mirrors and cameras, and an automatic transmission.
• Regional and highway: fuel economy, cab comfort, sleeper if needed, and dealer service coverage along your routes.
• Site and off-road: ground clearance, suspension, drive configuration and protection for the underside.
• Remote areas: parts availability and a brand with service support where you operate.

7. Safety features and driver comfort

Electronic stability control, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and good airbag and cab-strength ratings protect your drivers and your business. A comfortable, quiet cab also helps you keep good drivers.

8. Budget across the truck's life

Price the purchase, finance, fuel, tyres, servicing, registration and insurance together. A cheaper truck that uses more fuel or spends more days in the workshop can cost far more overall. See our truck cost guide and running costs guide.

Putting it together

Once you know the body type, GVM, axle configuration and budget, you have a shortlist you can actually search for. Start with all trucks for sale, filter by type and location, and use our truck buying checklist when you go to look.