Trucking glossary
The words on a truck deal sheet, in plain English. Each term has a short definition here and its own page with an EXAMPLE, the rule behind it where there is one, and the guides that go deeper. We dispatch trucks for a living; we do not lend, lease or sell them.
B
- Balloon loan
- A balloon loan has smaller regular payments that do not pay off the whole balance, leaving a large lump sum, the balloon, due at the end of the term.
D
- Day cab vs sleeper
- A day cab is a tractor with seats only and no bunk, built for drivers home each night. A sleeper adds a sleeping compartment behind the seats for multi-day runs. Sleepers weigh more and usually cost more.
P
- Pre-purchase inspection
- A pre-purchase inspection is an independent mechanic's check of a used truck before you buy it, covering the engine data, fluids, frame, brakes, emissions equipment and paperwork, so you can price repairs or walk away.
S
- Section 179 deduction
- The Section 179 deduction lets a business elect to deduct the cost of qualifying equipment, such as a truck, in the year it is placed in service instead of depreciating it over several years, up to a yearly limit.
- Sleeper roof heights
- Sleeper roof heights are the roof profiles of a sleeper tractor: a raised or high roof, tall enough to stand in; a mid roof, lower and lighter; and a flat top, the lowest, sitting near the cab line.
T
- TRAC lease
- A TRAC lease is a vehicle lease with a terminal rental adjustment clause: a residual value is set up front, and at the end the lessee pays or receives the difference between that residual and the truck's sale price.
- Truck title history check
- A truck title history check confirms that a used truck's seller owns it, that no lender or creditor holds a lien, and that its VIN carries no salvage, junk or rebuilt brand, before money changes hands.
Know the terms. Now keep the truck loaded.
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