Pickup trucks hold their value and usefulness for much longer than cars. Quite often a used pickup truck can represent quite a sound investment, especially if that truck has been well maintained and gently used.Why is it needed?The first question a potential used truck buyer asks is for what purpose is the truck? How is it going to be used? There is no sense in buying a larger and less fuel-efficient truck when a smaller one will do the job just as well. Likewise, if the need is for moving heavy loads, it is important to find a truck with both the power and hauling capacity. Other needs may include long road trips; therefore, a luxury, comfortable king cab truck may suit you better.Nasty surprisesMany used trucks hide nasty and expensive surprises unless you know how to look for them. For example, rust holes in the floor, the bed or the rocker panels can very quickly render a truck non-road-worthy, if not completely unsafe. Likewise, look for bent frames and rails or unusual wiggles or shimmies when the truck is in motion.One of the easiest and quickest ways to check the integrity of the motor is to remove the oil cap, and rub a small amount of the engine oil between your fingers. Oil from a well maintained engine should contain no grit. Grit in the oil spells trouble down the road. Check that mileageHigh mileage and low fuel efficiency are the terrible twins as both can burn holes in your wallet. High mileage trucks are bound to give you more problems much sooner, and low efficiency is a poor mix with high fuel prices.Know the conditionOne of the most important things any potential used truck buyers can do is to establish in what condition they are buying the truck. Is the seller offering it "as is", or are they guaranteeing that the truck will pass safety and emissions inspections? Knowing this small detail at the start can save a lot of wasted money, time and heartache later.If potential buyers know what they are getting into, a used pickup truck can represent money very well spent. However, like many other things in life it is also quite easy to act in haste and repent at leisure.