We Bought the Cheapest Truck from China 

Please make a mini series improving this bad boy 😆

As someone who works at a freight-forwarding company, this was actually really funny at how real the process gets. Donut guys, hit me up when you need one! We're literally just around the corner from you guys! We're on Hindry!!!!

This kinds of small truck are common in rural area in China. Farmers just need a cheap machine to help them carry live animals, vegetables or other agricultural products to the farmer markets, and sell them right off the truck. Recently I see a lot of people driving motorizes scooters/bikes to shop or to work. it saves money and it is convenience.

This actually put my childhood into perspective: My dad has been a mechanic my whole life and has owned a few businesses with one being an Import/Export Business. He'd buy cars from overseas, fix them up, and sell domestically/ship them back out. Being from California I've always wondered why there were lots of foreign cars in dad's garage and he'd even rebuild a few in our own garage at home. I never knew that clearance agents/freight forwarders were part of the process!😮

In China, we call this kind of vehicles "lao tou le", which translates to "happy grandpa" or "old man's fun". As you most likely can tell from the name, they're normally driven by seniors. A common application is to pick up their grandchildren from school. Their looks usually incorporate the styles of a lot of well-known cars. For instance, the front of this one in the video comes from Hongqi, a well-known brand in China. Don't be surprised if you see one that looks like a MB G wagon or Ford Raptor lol. Typically, you can't register them and get plates, and you don't need a license either. In my opinion, there's a lot of potential in this market. However, regulations gotta catch up first, because most of them have absolutely no safety feature or build quality you would see on modern cars, and they can be found mixed in your normal traffic. Imagine how dangerous it can be, when it's mixed in normal traffic, operated by some senior with no license and carrying some very young kid lol. Be extra careful when you're driving it or driving around it😂

yea i love this lil truck ❤ i would love to see how you modify it!

I have a soft spot in my heart for cute little cars and trucks. That is adorable! I'm sorry you got hosed on the shipping charges.

Loved this. Always wondered what those trucks were like. Keep up the good work

Riding dirty with no registration was already wild but driving it on the sidewalk was next level😭😂

This is my entire job, so I just watched a video on how to import. You got me watching my job on my day off.

One of the funniest videos that I have ever seen, bar none! I laughed and laughed and laughed! This needs to go viral!

Interestnig video, thank you. All in all not a bad price for a useful little truck, brand new. Would be an ideal tool for certain applications (grounds maintenance. small farming, gardening etc) I'm thinking. It would be good to see a follow up covering durability reliability of the truck over time of operation. Also ongoing maintenance requirements and battery life and range info. TIA

This thing's called 老头乐 (actually upgraded a lot) means it ‘’makes grandpas happy”. The CAR version used in urban area are used to pick up kids back from school driven by grandpa. The TRUCK version usually used in rural area and it's a cheap replica for the motor-powered tricycle-trucks used by the Légion étrangère in Africa. Everyone knows it's a toy vehicle and hazard to urban traffic, but in rural area is another story. You simply don't need any paperwork to buy or drive one since it's not under any law. lol~

The worst part about not getting paperwork done in time, is if it has to sit at the dock for any period of time it racks up fees VERY quickly as you found out. You can get out of those warehouse fees if you paid the agent the money they wanted to let them push it through faster. We found this out as well as we started importing a couple of years ago.

FYI you can get a good freight forwarder in the US and usually they will also be your customs broker if you need it. Being charged the excessive amount is primarily because you're bringing in an automotive vehicle and those are actually more of a pain in the butt because you have to get special approvals from the department of transportation as well as US Customs to ensure that it is imported properly. However, there are specific forwarding and brokerage firms that specifically handle this and probably could have gotten you slightly better deal... Source: Licensed US Customs Broker (for the past 20 years) and experience working for a major freight forwarding agent (13 years) and currently import export manager for a major brand retail company.

The CarParts pitch blew me away. That was brilliant and hilarious marketing. New sub here.

Really appreciate the honesty regarding the import process in this video, it was cool to hear about all the steps, fees, and logistics. Also seeing y'all whip around in that lil thing was hilarious!

Donut content is actually getting much better , the whole import process was really neat to learn

Chang li is an engineering marvel. I wish more companies in china would sell here without having to get it imported.

The "emoji starter" is a tactic used by many Chinese online sellers to be more casual and engaging with their customers, as many of them are just individual shoppers. I laughed so hard when you guys were surprised by this strange direction the conversation was taking. Also I work for a place where we constantly import materials from foreign countries, the process is always complicated and painful. I have mad respect for you pulling this off on your own! Great video!

I'm working at a forwarding agency for around 15 years doing seafreight all around the world. The mistake here is, that you bought the transport from the seller in China. They "only" want USD 450 in transport costs, but the forwarder in US will rip you completelly off and there is nothing you can do about that. What you should have instead done is, get in contact with a forwarding agency in USA, in best case a big one like in EU we have Expeditor, Kühne&Nagel, Dachser, Gebrüder Weiss... They can offer you the whole transport from seller factory till your house, they will also arrange the export customs clearance from China as well as the import customs clearance to US with probably very minimal document preperation from your side and you get a fixed price from them for the transport. This whole procedure would have costs probably more than USD 450, but in the end you are not facing some additional fees of several thousand USD which you have to pay in order to receive the truck.

Welcome to China to shoot a video. There are many types of civilian electric vehicles here. I am in Shandong Province. Almost all Uber drivers here use an electric car that sells for less than 20,000 US dollars. It takes 2 hours/7 hours to charge once. It costs US$9 for electricity and can travel 400 kilometers. Its internal structure is similar to that of a US$30,000 gasoline car. I look forward to your review of this electric car. It is called 【吉利 几何A】

The final extortionist seriously charged enough money to just build the thing yourself.

Eezy Import is great! I talked to them when I was importing some wheels from Japan and they're super nice and helped me a ton. Pro tip: depending on how small your item is, FedEx can handle port forwarding and customs clearance for you. They do a little interview with you over the phone so they can fill out the forms for you, then all you do is pay regular, domestic shipping costs. It's super easy and helpful for car parts! : )

I imported an R34 from Japan about 4 years ago. This video brought back all the feels. I sat for hours watching that silly little boat travel across the globe the long way, but it was so worth it!

THANKS for the vidio-i never realized it was so much paper work and so much extra monies getting through customs.

That is the best ad for car part stuff I've ever seen. Big Props. Reminds me of the Yugo. Laugh but a new car for a few thousand bucks is a good deal. Buddy bought a Yugo Turbo. Drink heavily before climbing into that death trap. LOL. This truck looks like a good deal to me for a farm or ranch.

I love how much fun Zach and Jerry had in this. You can tell they genuinely had fun with the vehicle

I found the import process more fascinating than the truck itself. Good to know there is DIY advice and options on filling out certain paperwork.

awesome video and answers questions I had about actual cost including shipping to get stuff off that website

You just snatched The Most Enjoyable Commercial award right out from under Viva La Dirt League. Kudos to you, Donut.

I’d love to see a mini series of you guys trying to improve it. Also trying to off road it would be fun.

Taking it over the curb in the parking lot was hilarious. Had me struggling to stifle my laugh at work lol

In my country you will (Netherlands) also need to get a type-approval (pretty expensive and then a really huge amount of tax.) And that for a car that is closer to a golfcart or the cars disabled people are allowed to drive over here (they are seen as mopeds and can not go over 40 km/h)

GREAT VIDEO! You guys definitely checked all the sophmorish guy things to initially be done to that p.o.s.! 🤣 My favorite youtube video this year!

6 years ago I started a company that had to buy products from China...it was truly an eye opener...your video brought back my struggles I encountered doing it myself.

This is freaking hilarious and informational at the same time. The emoji response from the seller was an indicator of how this was all going to turn out LMAO

This video brought me tons of laughs, thanks

donut has the best and most thought out sponsorship ads in their vids i’ve ever seen

This is the Donut content we’ve been needing

That $10k truck that’s already imported started lookin good at this point lol😂

7:51 pretty much like here in Arg where you have to pay like 45% of the product value for them to release any import over certain price

8:26 lmao that sounds like the lego minikit sound effects

Nolan putting the crocs into "sport mode" was comedy gold 😂

If there's something I learned after working 5ish years in logistics, is that buying things, like vehicles, from Alibaba, is never as cheap or easy as it seems. This was too much fun to watch, love you guys!

I'm not in the freight business, but my company deals with millions of dollars of freight per year. I want to say you incurred massive additional charges by having your freight shipped to a warehouse first where you had to then release it at a later time. Normally when we pick up our freight, we arrange a truck to be at the port during unloading, and the freight is put directly onto the truck and then delivered to us. We don't pay to have it moved to, and stored in a 3rd party warehouse in between.

Nolan putting the crocs into “sport mode” was comedy gold 😂

Y’all are really releasing some bangers lately. Keep it up guys

I could see how this would be useful for small work sites or yards to transport people or tools around

I imagine changing parts on that thing must be easy as hell (Probably expensive too if the parts have to be imported. But it looks like its composed of most parts you can find from any local mechanic unless it has to do with the body work or engine)

you guys should do an off-road test with it 😂

i think it is adapte for small closed places: airports, galleries, bunkers etc

I like your carparts ad. Very "Jesus he knows me" style

A secret to importing items is to use a large multi-national carrier such as FedEx, UPS, or any of the other super large companies like that. They calculate these fees for you, and add them to your bill. Then they also ship the items to your address instead of having to pay the $1,100ish to the third middleman.

I am from Mozambique and most people can't afford a brand new car, so we import used cars from Japan. Fortunately some Japanese companies have offices here so it super easy. You can just choose the car from their local website that gives you the final price with all the fees. And you can just pick up the car in their office. The most adventurous people can just import it from the Japanese sites and do the whole process that you went through. But for me it is easier and safer to use the first method.

I’ve actually driver a 4 spd Honda acty. This summer camp JCC I worked at has a black one and they also have an orange “Cushman” 5 spd gas utility cart. They’re really cool and fun to drive.

i would love to see you guys tunning this mini truck! This car is so funny!

As someone who used to work in supply chain logistics, this was funny 😂😂😂

A hi-low series on 2 of these would be insane!

9:20 Shitstain really got a relief and went straight up to buy de Corolla.

this video is so funny, knowing INCOTERMS and working with these. This part of import/export is the bigest negociation between buyers/sellers because of theses extra prices

As a custom officer, I admire your passion and patience.

just coming here to say that u guys nailed it. the video never felt like a drag, it was appealing to click on, it felt both informational and entertaining, the sponsorship was grade A, there was some fun screwing around, it ended off on a high note, i mean u guys really did just nail it. nj

Great video! Now I know better thanks to you. I did not know how much importing is a pain in the donkey. Way to go!

So I just bought a 1997 Nissan Sentra with 62k miles on it for a little over $6,000. Just curious if I could've done this instead for less money. Only 5 minutes into the video and seeing it almost up to $4,000 already while thinking about how I would get parts if I needed to do repairs and things like that are making quickly feel like my little Nissan wasn't such a bad deal. Everything about it is like new, even the dashboard is clean and buttery like a new car. The seat fabric is perfect and the paint isn't oxidized at all, I even bought the new Metallica album on cassette so I could listen to it while I drive. 😅👍

I love that the Description of Goods is listed as an Elderly Mobility Scooter 6:54 in order to not have to pay as big of a customs fee.

This is honestly one of the best episodes you guys have made, absolutely loved it. I was smiling from ear to ear the entire time.

Thanks for the video. Would the shipping cost have decreased if more than one truck was purchased at once?

Mas del doble del valor inicial!! Igual es valido por tener la experiencia. Saludos desde Argentina!!

Great video! Super fun! This type of “vehicle” is also a pain spot in China now. Government doesn’t really know how to put regulations on them since they are not really a vehicle nor a toy. It creates potential hazards for normal traffic because it’s relatively fast and doesn’t provide enough safety for the driver ( such as air bag ) or other vehicles around them, but on the other hand, it’s also opened up an option for people who have needs on an affordable “ tool” or as a type of transportation for some small tasks (such as go to local food market). It has pros and cons, and it did meet certain needs for some people 😂

Thank you guys for spending lots of money and time so we don't make this mistakes. Will be fun if you build a similar truck with the same amount of money and put it into a test to see what's better, home made or Chinese pickup. 😂😂

14:59 it would probably fit inside the bed of a regular pickup truck next to it lol

I want to see a series of this monster truck, it's time to kick ass! greetings from Chile

The warehouse/release fees took me by surprise. I shipped a piano internationally pre-covid and the fees for everything were similar, but I want to say the release fee was closer to $600.

I love the direction donut media is going in, I’m loving all the videos!

Chinese here, love your video, hilarious. This type of tiny electric vehicles are targeted for the poor elderlies mainly in the countryside and are banned in highways and most cities, because it's well known for its shitty quality and lack of safety protections, hence been given the nickname "the mobile cinerary casket".

Suspension, lift, wheels and tires, winch, Hayabusa motor, amps subwoofer and speakers. Just the usual stuff you do to any truck.

Please either make a mini series with this thing where you completely deck it out and make it a beast, or do a high low series with another of these

Whistling Diesel just destroyed one of these. I was actually impressed with how much pain it withstood.

The importing process was eye opening. $8K in total. The cutest truck lolol.

I love the car therapist “for more than 11 years and 16 days” LMAO

y’all needa make this this as off road capable as possible and see how far it can go

Why....because we can that's why

Ok, my son got me looking into the micro-truck thing. My suggestion for this thing is to take it to Demo Ranch and see what kind of fun you all can have with it. Hopefully explosively. 😂

Guys, I'm telling you from Europe that if you think something extra happened to you, you're wrong. The car was indeed more expensive than $200, true, but 50% of the 8000 was put on it by your own government's stupidity. And it's not just you. Look at where and how big Hungary and Austria are? Yes, neighboring countries such as USA-Canada or USA-Mexico. Many Hungarians go to work in richer Austria. And many people live there and go home from time to time. In Europe, the rule is that if you live somewhere for more than a month, you cannot drive a non-local car. So anyone who moves out, in principle, takes their car out, gets it inspected, gets a license plate there, and that's it. From there, the car is there. In principle, yes. In fact, the registration tax is so high that it is not worth doing, used vehicles are cheaper in the other country. You will regularly find ads for used cars for sale with "Hungarian license plates" and "Oszrták license plates". This is for people who want to move there, and it is sold by people who are moving back. And zero import or customs or anything like that. There is no border control between the EU countries, let alone customs. This is governments fucking with the people. Have you ever looked at how much the same $10,000 Japanese trucks actually cost in Japan before import or at home after? so that 10,000 is not 10,000...but you are 18,000$!

This was my absolute favorite episode you guys have ever made.

We need a series modifying this entire truck to make it awesome.

It's awesome that you included the logistics behind getting it here.

the fact that this vehicle will not ever be street legal, it doesn't meet DOT standards, and you are driving it on public roads and illegally driving on sidewalks just for a video is irresponsible...

I learned from this video that it must be good to own a warehouse.

Now get another one and do a high low with them!!!! It would be hilarious

bro you so need to lift it and make a micro fire truck, with latters on the sides a toy size water canon in the back with a set of firefighter's bunker gear with their pick axe but small it could be so cool then ask your city if you can do it up in their color sceem & logos to use in festivals & stuff.

Came to see the cheap truck, I stayed for the freight forwarded process. 👍

THANK you so so much for going through all this so I didn't have to. I was contemplating importing a food truck/ trailer and had no idea what was involved. Needless to say I've changed my plan.

I vote for welding all the gaps they left at the joints to actually make the frame strong, and then seeing what you can do to make it dangerously fast haha!

Excelente traducción de buenas Calidad y gracias en tiktok no encontré este material que me resuelve las dudas de si vale la pena o no comprá

Please make a video about spark plug blowout and gapping!!!

My wife is an international freight forwarder/customs agent manager and I knew immediately when I read about the $2000 truck that it was gonna cost at least $5000 plus extras. But $8200,USD for a $2000 'truck' , just wow.

Y'all used STG logistics in Compton, CA. I work with them regularly but my work is pretty consistent and standardized and usually involves 1 container to 1 full truckload. I recommend in the future y'all reach out to a smaller company like West Coast warehouse in Compton (they are my favorite to work with). They will put you in touch with the right people and will take care of you. The costs should not have been that high for a partial container load with drayage and transload. For reference, I am an oceans import manager for a logistics company on the East coast.

I would worry about the plywood snapping in half, saw someone with a pickup that had plaster sheets that snapped.