The costly mistakes to avoid when buying a truck

Buying a truck is often the investment of a lifetime for a haulier or a small construction company. And some mistakes are paid for over years. Here are the seven most common. If you know someone who is about to buy a truck, send them this article: it could save them a very nasty surprise.

Mistake no. 1: buying from photos, without inspection

Photos can be old, retouched or simply copied from another seller's website. A truck that looks perfect on WhatsApp can arrive with a tired engine, a different chassis number or a configuration different from the one ordered.

The right reflex: insist on an inspection before loading, with a video of the start-up and verification of the specifications (engine, gearbox, chassis, mileage). Once the truck is on the ship, it is too late.

Mistake no. 2: paying 100% upfront to a stranger

Fake supplier scams exist. The warning signs are well known: a price clearly lower than all the others, a seller who pressures you to pay, who refuses to provide company documents, or who asks you at the last minute to pay into a different bank account.

The right reflex: check that the account holder's name matches the company name exactly, confirm any change of bank details by calling a number you have already verified, and never pay the balance before seeing the inspection.

Mistake no. 3: looking only at the truck price

The displayed price is only part of the bill. You must add sea freight, insurance, customs duties, VAT, port charges and registration. Comparing an FOB price (truck loaded in China) with a CIF price (delivered to your port) means comparing two different things.

The right reflex: always compare offers on the same basis, and ask your freight forwarder for an estimate of duties and taxes before signing.

To run this calculation with your own figures, use our truck profitability calculator: it shows your monthly profit and how long your truck takes to pay for itself.

Mistake no. 4: buying too small, then overloading

It is the classic temptation: take a cheaper truck and load it beyond its capacity. The result: accelerated wear of tyres, brakes, suspension and chassis, and fines. In WAEMU countries, regulation no. 14/2005 provides for 20,000 FCFA per tonne of overload for domestic transport and 60,000 FCFA for inter-state transport (original amounts, subject to revision), plus the obligation to unload the excess at your own expense. And checks are being stepped up: in Senegal, 47.71% of the 148,885 trucks checked in April 2026 were overloaded, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure.

The right reflex: choose the truck according to the real load and the authorised weight. If you need to carry more, move up to an 8x4 or a tractor.

Mistake no. 5: ignoring the engine standard and diesel quality

A state-of-the-art Euro VI engine is not necessarily a good choice if the diesel available where you are contains a lot of sulphur: according to the ICCT, these engines need diesel with no more than 10 ppm of sulphur, and their emission control systems can be damaged by higher-sulphur fuel. Conversely, some countries impose a minimum standard on imported vehicles.

The right reflex: check the standard required in your country and choose an engine suited to the fuel you will actually find.

Mistake no. 6: forgetting import rules

Some countries limit the age of imported vehicles. In Côte d'Ivoire, since July 2018, trucks over 5 tonnes cannot be imported if they are more than 10 years old. In Ghana, importing accident-damaged vehicles has been prohibited since the 2020 law. A used truck stuck at the port because it does not comply with regulations means tied-up money and storage charges that keep piling up.

The right reflex: have the project validated by your freight forwarder before buying, especially for a used truck.

Mistake no. 7: not thinking about parts and maintenance

A rare truck, of a brand nobody knows in your region, can stay in the workshop for weeks waiting for a part. Meanwhile, it earns nothing, but the loan, the insurance and the driver keep costing money.

The right reflex: before buying, ask your mechanic whether they know the brand and the engine, and check where to find wear parts. We can also supply genuine spare parts for the brands in our catalogue.

The summary to remember

• No full payment without inspection.
• Compare the total cost, not the displayed price.
• Choose the truck for the legal load, not for overloading.
• Check the standard, the fuel and the import rules in your country.
• Think about parts before buying.

Want to avoid these mistakes without handling everything alone? Find out how we support our customers, or request a quote.