Purchasing a semi truck is a big investment for your company. You need to make sure you make a wise purchase to avoid taking a loss or experiencing downtime when your truck is out of order for repairs. 

If you're currently on the market for a used freightliner truck, performing a thorough inspection of any trucks you're considering is of vital importance to protecting your investment. The following are five key points of inspection when you're looking for the right semi truck:

Tires

On semi trucks, tire irregularities are good indicators of underlying problems or improper usage through the years. 

Cracks and other deformities on tires can show that a truck has been regularly overloaded or constantly exposed to moisture in the place where it was parked. A semi truck that was regularly parked in wet environments is more likely to have extensive corrosion issues.

A truck's tires aren't just a good indicator of how the truck has been kept and maintained through the years. They are also of vital importance when it comes to ensuring safety out on the roads. Make sure that semi truck tires have enough tread and are not under inflated to ensure that they offer an adequate grip on roadway surfaces. 

Oil level

The condition of a semi truck's oil is another good indicator of how the truck has been maintain and what condition it is in.

A sufficient quantity of clean oil is a good indicator that a semi truck has been well maintained by the previous owner. On the other hand, inadequate oil or low quality oil indicates that the owner may not have maintained the vehicle well through the years. 

Brake response

When it comes to safety, brakes are probably the most important component on semi trucks.

You need to test drive a semi truck before committing to buy it so that you can try out the brakes and make sure that they offer a fast and reliable response. If brakes don't perform well during a test drive, you can be pretty sure that you'll be needing to pay for some costly repairs soon to ensure safety. 

Accident history

You should look in to the accident history of a semi truck that you are thinking of purchasing. Past accidents can cause underlying functional issues that might not be readily apparent during visual inspections and test drives.

Exercise caution before purchasing a semi truck that has been involved with a severe accident and ask about all the repairs that have been performed since the accident.

Maintenance records

Companies that properly maintain their vehicles should have maintenance records that they can share with prospective buyers of those vehicles.

Ask to see maintenance records to make sure that a semi truck has been getting important routine maintenance through the years like oil changes, tire rotations, and more.