When you’re thinking about purchasing a truck you will probably already have fixed your budget and named your price. But what name brand should you choose? If you are looking to buy a truck, or simply investigating the many different manufacturers of trucks, it may come as a surprise to you to hear that maker names you would normally associate with luxury cars make trucks as well. A case in point is Mercedes Benz - far more often thought to be amongst the kingpins in lavishness, the company also has a mercantile vehicles division.

Size matters. And so does shape and style. Trucks, of course, come in many different shapes and sizes, not to mention price brackets. Before purchasing you really need to have a clear plan of what the main use of the vehicle will be. While some trucks really do feature all the bells, lights and whistles your heart could desire, it may be that for practical purposes you might want to opt for something slightly more utilitarian. Unless you are entering competitions or into the more sporting side of trucking, then these highly ornamental, and very striking, vehicles mightn’t be the best choice for you. They can also cost in the $40,000 region.

Then there’s the question of budget. If you need to economize, avoid purchasing retail. Buying wholesale can save you money, and if you’re running a business and need the truck for commercial purposes you shouldn’t have any trouble setting up a business account with the manufacturer which will afford you benefits.

We all have our load to bear, as they say, but how much can your truck carry? Its capacity in terms of how much you can actually get into the vehicle is also something that you’ll need to mull over if you want the vehicle for work purposes - the manufacturer’s stipulations should take account of the cubic footage of storage and the maximum load weight too.

What does the term truck mean to you? Depending where you live, the term truck might mean different things. In the United Kingdom, for instance, the term truck isn’t normally used to describe four wheel drive vehicles like standard land or range rovers, whereas in the USA the term seems to cover a wider range of vehicles.

OK, you can’t wait to get on the road and get trucking, so to speak. But take time to read any small print. Again, checking the manufacturer’s specifications is important; as for some vehicles drivers are required to hold special licenses, if the truck itself falls into the heavy goods vehicle category (HGV). HGV’s cannot be driven on standard drivers licenses so to make certain you stay on the right side of the law please do check what specifically applies to your vehicle. Also, some areas state that drivers be over a certain age to drive such vehicles and even qualify to hold HGV licenses. Vehicle licensing organisations will be able to tell you which category your vehicle falls into and which type of license is required.