Question

Bilboa Freightlines, S.A., of Panama, has a small truck that it uses for intracity deliveries. The truck is worn out and must be either overhauled or replaced with a new truck. The company has assembled the following information:

	Present Truck			New Truck
Purchase cost new	$	30,000		$	39,000
Remaining book value	$	17,000			-
Overhaul needed now	$	16,000			-
Annual cash operating costs	$	15,500		$	14,000
Salvage value-now	$	9,000			-
Salvage value-five years from now	$	8,000		$	10,000

    

If the company keeps and overhauls its present delivery truck, then the truck will be usable for five more years. If a new truck is purchased, it will be used for five years, after which it will be traded in on another truck. The new truck would be diesel-operated, resulting in a substantial reduction in annual operating costs, as shown above.

The company computes depreciation on a straight-line basis. All investment projects are evaluated using a 9% discount rate.

Click here to view Exhibit 13B-1 and Exhibit 13B-2, to determine the appropriate discount factor(s) using tables.

Required:

1. What is the net present value of the “keep the old truck” alternative?

2. What is the net present value of the “purchase the new truck” alternative?

3. Should Bilboa Freightlines keep the old truck or purchase the new one?

Answer 1

1. Computation of NPV of Keep The truck
	Now	1	2	3	4	5
Keep the old truck:
Overhaul needed now	-$16,000
Annual operating costs		-$15,500	-$15,500	-$15,500	-$15,500	-$15,500
Salvage value (old)						$8,000
Total cash flows	-$16,000	-$15,500	-$15,500	-$15,500	-$15,500	-$7,500
Discount facr 9%	1.000	0.917	0.842	0.772	0.708	0.650
Present value	-$16,000	-$14,220	-$13,046	-$11,969	-$10,981	-$4,874
Net present value	-$71,090
2
2. Computation of NPV of Purchase of New The truck
	Now	1	2	3	4	5
Purchase new truck	-$39,000
Salvage value (old)	$9,000
Annual operating costs		-$14,000	-$14,000	-$14,000	-$14,000	-$14,000
Salvage value (new)						$10,000
Total cash flows	-$30,000	-$14,000	-$14,000	-$14,000	-$14,000	-$4,000
Discount facr 9%	1.000	0.917	0.842	0.772	0.708	0.650
Present value	-$30,000	-$12,844	-$11,784	-$10,811	-$9,918	-$2,600
Net present value	-$77,956

3. Bilboa Freightlines should keep the old truck