When you think about used vehicles, do you think of shady car salesmen trying to get away with selling you a lemon? Do you imagine beat-up old trucks that fail on you after only a few miles? Despite what you may have seen in TV shows and movies, used vehicles aren't always a liability. They can be extremely reliable and provide you with years or even decades of continuing service. This is especially true of semi-trucks, which are known to be hardy and durable vehicles. Keep reading to see just how reliable used semi-trucks can be.

What Brands Can You Trust?

Just as you have several different options of commuter cars when buying a new vehicle, there are many manufacturers of semi-trucks too. It's important to be aware of the reliability and reputation of each brand so that you can determine which ones are best suited to purchasing used. Generally speaking, the following manufacturers of semi-trucks are known for being thoroughly reliable, making them a good option when buying used:

• Mack
• Peterbilt
• Kenworth
• Freightliner

Each of these brands are known for getting decades of reliable service for their drivers. Even if you find a used semi-truck with a couple thousand miles on the odometer, if it's one of these brands, you can likely still get a great deal of service out of them.

How Many Miles Can They Get?

If you're buying used, you might be wondering just how many miles is too many miles. The answer will depend more on the brand and overall condition of the vehicle than anything else. If a semi-truck is well-maintained, and it comes from a reliable manufacturer. You can usually expect to get over 800,000 miles of good service from a semi-truck. In some cases, a well-maintained truck can rack up over a million miles of driving during its lifetime.

In terms of years, this will usually equate to about 20 years of standard service for a semi-truck performing long-haul trucking services. So, if you find a semi-truck that has under 300,000 miles on it, you can usually feel quite confident that it is going to continue to service you for many years to come.

Who Is the Seller?

Finally, it's important to consider who you're buying a used semi from. Your best bet is usually to buy from a dealer who offers a warranty of some kind on their vehicles. Even if the manufacturer's warranty is expired, a good dealer will provide some sort of protection for you that is backed by the dealership. Any dealer offering semi used trucks for sale should feel confident enough in their products' reliability to provide a 6-month warranty at least.