As with any negotiation, negotiating the price of a used heavy truck requires knowledge, dedication, and patience. You can’t expect a dealer or private owner to agree to your price just because you ask, so you need to find some compelling reasons to get them to lower your price, and then conduct your negotiation firmly but respectfully.

set your price

A negotiation is only successful when both parties leave happy. Many people get it wrong and end up putting too much or too little money on the table. This is not about “beating” the other party, and you should never walk out of a negotiation feeling defeated. The purpose of your back and forth is to arrive at a price that is acceptable to both parties, so that a deal can be made.

To do this, thoroughly evaluate the used truck or fleet of heavy trucks if you are considering more than one, before determining the price. If possible, have a mechanic inspect each and every one of them, so he can really decide how much they’re worth to you. Now, you should be thinking of a range. You need to know the absolute highest amount you’ll pay to get the best deal, and you also need to have a reasonable “low price” (something you think is fair, but an extremely good deal).

Be honest

You should always start by offering the lowest price in your range, but let the other party know why you are offering that price. Tell him you started with fair market value and then deducted for dents, age, interior condition, etc. Yew you You can’t even justify the price, how do you expect the buyer to understand? Take your time and think carefully before making an offer that is likely to be absurd. By starting with a number that is within reason, the other party will know that you mean business and value their time.

Don’t worry about her feelings

As long as your offer is fair, don’t worry about hurting the other party’s feelings. He may act as if he’s shocked or terribly offended by your low offer, but it’s probably just acting up. And if it’s not an act, you probably won’t be able to negotiate with this person anyway. Don’t let someone raise the price with emotion. Let him explain why his used heavy trucks are worth more than you think.

Don’t worry about the price tag

You’ll only get a good deal on those used heavy trucks if you pay what you think they’re worth. Here’s a secret: what you think they’re worth should have nothing to do with the price on the window. Most people trade by imagining a number somewhere between the sticker price and their floor price. That’s not necessarily the best way to do it. What if that average number is higher than what you really wanted to pay? Negotiations are not about “meeting in the middle.” Again, it’s all about getting value. Meeting in the middle will not always be valuable to you.

Negotiations for anything, including used heavy trucks, can be stressful and time consuming, but never think of them as battles. If you feel like you are fighting with the other person or getting into a win-lose situation, you are doing something wrong or negotiating with the wrong person. Since their desires are aligned (you want a truck and he wants to get rid of a truck), they must work together to find a way to help both of them walk away smiling.