Sunday, November 16th, 2008
Buying a new pickup truck can be very confusing. Of course you could go for a well known brand or manufacturer. Thre are many manufacturer to choose from like autocar truck, freightliner truck, hino truck, sterling truck etc. But still here are many options to consider.
Below are some guidelines that could point you in the right direction in buying a new truck.
The first thing that you should consider is size. Ask yourself just how big a pickup truck do you need? This shouldn’t be a very difficult decision for you to make. All you have to consult are your needs and your budget.
Keep in mind the price of a new pickup truck varies. It can range from the affordable (like buying an ordinary car) to the very expensive (like buying a luxury car). A good basic pickup truck can be owned for around $20,000 while a full sized fully loaded pickup truck an go for as much $30,000 or more.
Keep in mind one of the most important features of a pickup truck is its engine. So the engine should be a primary consideration when buying a pickup truck. Most pickup trucks will have a V6 engine. This type of engine consumes a fair amount of fuel depending on what you will be hauling or pulling. However, full sized pickup trucks usually have V8 engines that use up gas pretty fast. A diesel engine is recommended if you need lots of power for towing things around.
Check the truck box configurations. Trucks come with different cargo box. Most have fairly straight exterior sides, with arched areas just inside the bed to accommodate the rear wheels. Many also have spaces in front and behind each arch so there’s more room to tuck shorter cargo. On the other hand, some pickup tucks have flared fenders to provide more storage space. This type of cargo box is called a step-side box.
The Internet is a very good source for new and used pickup trucks. There are many websites specially dedicated to automobiles and trucks. From there, you can get in touch with local dealers. And even read a review of the vehicles for sale. Using such website is very easy for both sellers and buyers. Using such websites can definitely save you time when buying a pickup truck. Most automotive websites serve as an online market place for cars and pickup trucks. Sellers post the vehicle they want to sell. Then a buyer can browse through it. When a buyer wants to buy a vehicle, the website puts him touch with the seller. And that’s it. They will even handle the transporting to your driveway.
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Monday, September 15th, 2008
Toyota is discussing options on how to possibly combine manufacturing operations in North America of Hino Motors Ltd. and Isuzu Motors Ltd. It is not yet clear whether the discussion will lead to the merging of the two truck manufacturers but according to statement released by Toyota executives in separate interviews, the Japanese automaker would like to create synergies between the two commercial truck producers. In short, combine manufacturing operations of the two truck companies in terms of building big medium and heavy duty trucks and afterwards developed a demand for them.
It is better to set up and operate truck plants in a joint venture. Neither Hino nor Isuzu has the big enough business size in North America to be able to profitably pursue business opportunities on its own.At present Hino Trucks has two manufacturing sites in North America, one located in Long Beach, California while the other one is in Woodstock, Ontario—combined these two sites produced 10,000 trucks a year. The company has announced its plan of building a plant in Williamstown, W. Va., which would produce medium and heavy-duty trucks with an annual growth of 2,500 vehicles starting the fourth quarter of this year.
Hino will try to sell 10,000 trucks in North America by 2008 which is more than the 6,200 obtained by the company last year. Meanwhile Isuzu is exporting big inter city delivery trucks from Japan to North America. However, Toyota thinks that its more efficient to produce these trucks locally in North America especially once sale starts to grow. According to the spokesman of Isuzu that the company is trying to reach sales level of about 50,000 vehicles a year more than the current annual sales pace which are a little less than 30,000.
Toyota executives believe that the separate manufacturing operations of both Isuzu and Hino in North America are risky and redundant. Toyota owns 50 percent stake in Hino and about 5.9 percent equity stake in Isuzu. Currently Isuzu classic Truck and Toyota, the maker of Toyota strut bellows are studying ways on how they would develop and produce small advanced clean diesel engines for both passenger cars and light duty trucks.
A senior Toyota executive has stated that once the two companies have finished their discussion, the next thing on their agenda would be to “figure out how we could create synergies between Hino and Isuzu.”The executive has added that Toyota has not yet reached that point but pointed out that such discussions would follow after Toyota and Isuzu know they would collaborate with regards to the advanced diesel engine technology.
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