Highway star: a strong truck is the lifeblood of a service technician's business. Here's what industry veterans say you should have in your garage.

Bob Foutz opened his garage door early one morning to retrieve his newspaper as he had done countless times before. But this time, as he looked out onto his front lawn, something seemed amiss. Suddenly, it hit him.

"My truck wasn't where it was supposed to be," recalls Foutz, owner

From the veteran pool technician's point of view, the thieves didn't just steal a truck: They took away his livelihood. "I look at my truck as a tool," he says. "It's a very important tool."

As the backbone of his business, Foutz knew his new ride had to be reliable, durable and cost-efficient. When he set out to purchase a replacement, he laid out some criteria.

To help guide you through your truck-buying decisions, Foutz and other veteran service techs offer tips on what sort of wheels are best suited for you and the job you do.

Maintenance time

Pool maintenance routes involve a lot of driving, with many stops and starts along the way. So, for maintenance/service trucks, most business owners prefer the smaller, light-duty vehicles that get about 19 to 25 miles to the gallon, and range in price from approximately $12,000 to $16,000.

"Our service trucks are Chevy S-10 long beds," says David Hawes, owner of H&H Pool Service in Dublin, Calif. "I like them because they are low enough for techs to get their caddies and poles in and out [of the bed] without straining."

Hawes says that some of his S-10s have four-cylinder engines, while others are equipped with six cylinders. "I haven't found gas mileage to be that much different [between four and six cylinders]," he says. "But with some of the heavier loads we carry, I prefer the six-cylinder engine."

With the smaller pickups, the size of the engine is not as crucial as how the purchase impacts your bottom line. "With the smaller trucks--most of ours are Ford Rangers and vary from four to six cylinders--we choose whatever has the best deal at the time," says Sterling Kropp, president of Roberts Pool Service in Carrollton, Texas.

"But we like to drive [either one] because of the fuel economy."

A region's topography also can factor into a truck-buying decision. For example, even though you're driving a maintenance/ service route, if the terrain is steep and hilly, the smaller, four-cylinder models might not work for you.