How We Inspect Every Unit
This page exists because most used truck listings do not tell you what was actually checked. Here is exactly what we photograph on every unit, what we verify, and what we deliberately do not claim.
What we photograph on every unit
| # | Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Three-quarter front and side views | Shows bodywork, cab alignment and signs of accident repair |
| 2 | Chassis and frame rails | The single most important check. Cracks, welds or a bent frame mean the truck is scrap, and several African markets prohibit import outright on this basis |
| 3 | Engine bay | Shows leaks, whether components are original, and how the engine has been maintained |
| 4 | Odometer reading | Recorded with the photo. We state clearly whether the reading can be verified |
| 5 | Manufacturer nameplate | This is where the year of manufacture is confirmed. The year decides whether a truck may enter Ghana at all. The VIN is masked in the published photo |
| 6 | Cab interior | Shows wear relative to declared mileage, and whether the cab has been stripped |
| 7 | Tyres and wheels | Condition and remaining life, which is a real cost to you on arrival |
| 8 | Rear axle, suspension and fifth wheel | Drivetrain condition, and the components that fail first under heavy West African loads |
Reading the year off the nameplate
The year of manufacture is not a formality. Ghana prohibits used vehicles over ten years old under GS 4510, and Nigeria blocks commercial imports over fifteen years old. A truck that is one year over the line is unsellable in that market, no matter how good its condition. We photograph the nameplate on every unit and record the year as plate-verified. If we have not seen the plate, the listing says the year is unverified rather than stating a figure we cannot support.
The year is in the chassis number too, and nobody can swap that
A nameplate can be replaced. The 17-character vehicle identification number is stamped into the chassis frame, and under the identification standard used in China its tenth character is the model year. That gives you a second, independent way to date a unit: read the plate, then read the frame, and check that the two agree. If they do not agree, stop and ask why before you pay anything. This is also why our own listings record the year as verified only when we have photographed the plate.
Tenth character of the chassis number
| Character | Model year | Character | Model year |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2010 | J | 2018 |
| B | 2011 | K | 2019 |
| C | 2012 | L | 2020 |
| D | 2013 | M | 2021 |
| E | 2014 | N | 2022 |
| F | 2015 | P | 2023 |
| G | 2016 | R | 2024 |
| H | 2017 | S | 2025 |
| T | 2026 | V | 2027 |
Ghana needs the tenth character to be H (2017) or later. Nigeria needs C (2012) or later. This character gives the model year, which can differ from the build date by a few months — so it corroborates the nameplate, it does not replace it.
What we do not claim
We are not a certified inspection body and we do not issue certificates with legal standing. We do not perform compression tests, oil analysis or dyno runs. We do not guarantee that a truck will pass a destination-country conformity inspection, and we do not guarantee customs clearance anywhere. What we do is look at the vehicle properly, photograph what we see, and describe it accurately, including the parts we could not verify.
What we will tell you even when it costs us the sale
- If the nameplate year makes the unit ineligible for your market, we will say so before you pay
- If the frame has been welded or straightened, we will show you the photograph
- If the odometer reading cannot be corroborated by the cab wear, we will mark it unverified
- If we have not physically seen the truck, we will not list it
Want the full photograph set for a unit?
Ask us for any unit's complete image set and specification. We will send it whether or not you end up buying.
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