Charter Levels Explained: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and As Is

Every truck at Charter is marked with a Charter Level: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, or As Is. The level tells you how much reconditioning work the truck received before sale and what Charter’s guarantee covers afterward. Every level includes a full ECM report, working exterior lights, topped-off fluids, interior and exterior detail, and no active check engine lights. What changes between levels is the depth of inspection, how much of that inspection gets repaired, and how long Charter stands behind it.

What every level includes

No matter which level you buy:

• Full ECM report
• Working exterior lights and topped-off fluids
• Interior and exterior detail
• No active check engine lights
• Charter’s Guarantee
• The ability to view the third-party inspection report before you buy
• A test drive, and the chance to ask the sales team anything before purchase
• Delivery to any location in the United States

The five levels

Note that Bronze and Silver take different inspections rather than more of the same one. Bronze gets the 50-point 90-day BIT inspection. Silver and above get the 102-point preventive maintenance inspection.

What each level means

Platinum

Fully prepared units for buyers who want maximum confidence and third-party warranty coverage.

Everything in the 102-point PM inspection repaired, all filters and oil changed, air dryer service, full chassis lube, fully polished with the DPF cleaned, tires and brakes at 50 percent life or better, and a 6-month or 50,000-mile third-party warranty included.

Odds of downtime: Low.

Best for: anyone who needs the truck working immediately with no shop time. First-time buyers, operators without their own mechanic, and anyone whose downtime costs more than the premium.

Gold

Late-model, lower-mileage units for buyers who want to save time and reduce downtime risk. Includes air dryer service, fresh oil, and new filters, excluding the DPF filter.

Everything in the 102-point PM inspection repaired, full chassis lube, HVAC operational. Not polished, DPF not cleaned, tires and brakes not guaranteed to a threshold, and no included warranty.

Odds of downtime: Low to medium.

Best for: buyers who want the mechanical work done but do not need the cosmetics or the included warranty. The gap between Gold and Platinum is polish, tires and brakes, and the warranty, not mechanical repair.

Silver

Late-model, lower-mileage units for buyers seeking added value and coverage.

The 102-point PM inspection is performed and you get the report, along with full chassis lube, operational HVAC, full detail, and fluids topped off. The PM inspection items are not repaired at this level. You see what was found and you handle it.

Odds of downtime: Medium.

Best for: buyers who are mechanically inclined or have access to a repair shop. You are buying the information and doing the work yourself.

Bronze

Value-focused, higher-mileage units for experienced buyers comfortable with entry-level coverage.

Gets the 50-point 90-day BIT inspection rather than the 102-point PM inspection. Full ECM report, detail, fluids, working lights, no check engine lights.

Best for: experienced buyers working to a budget on a higher-mileage truck who understand what entry-level coverage does and does not include.

As Is

Similar to what you would get from an auction or a private party, with the ECM report and Charter’s basic prep on top.

No independent third-party 3rd Party inspection, no PM inspection repairs, no warranty.

Odds of downtime: High.

Best for: educated buyers capable of reconditioning a truck themselves. If you have a shop and a mechanic, this is the lowest entry price on a given spec.

Charter’s Guarantee: what is actually covered

Every level carries Charter’s Guarantee. What it covers, and for how long, scales with the level.

Read this part carefully:

• Claims must be made within the day limit or the mileage limit, whichever comes first.
• Items on the preventive maintenance inspection sheet are repaired with parts of equal condition. They are not replaced with new parts.
• Repairs must be completed by an OEM shop approved by Charter Trucks.
• Charter does not participate in repairs to the engine, transmission, aftertreatment systems, or rear ends. An aftermarket warranty covering those components may be available for purchase at the time of sale.
• Bronze coverage applies to check engine light repairs only.

That fourth point is the one buyers most need to understand up front, because engine, transmission, aftertreatment, and rear end are where the expensive failures live. The guarantee is not a powertrain warranty. Ask about the aftermarket warranty options if that is the coverage you need.

Warranty at other levels

The 6-month, 50,000-mile third-party warranty is included at Platinum. Warranty options can be purchased at any other level, so a Silver or Gold truck can be covered. Ask at the time of sale.

The five steps behind every level

1. Sourcing. Charter sources reliable used trucks through established channels.
2. Buying team assessment. Charter’s buying team assesses every truck before purchase.
3. Third-party inspection. Once Charter buys a truck, third parties inspect it.
4. Refurbishment. Repairs are performed by skilled third-party or dealer mechanics.
5. Sales transparency. The sales team is trained to give you a clear picture of what you are buying.

How to choose a level

• Need it earning immediately, no shop time? Platinum.
• Want the mechanical work done but not paying for polish and tires? Gold.
• Have your own shop or mechanic? Silver gets you the 102-point inspection findings and lets you do the work.
• Budget-focused on a higher-mileage truck and you know what you are doing? Bronze.
• Buying the cheapest entry on a spec and reconditioning it yourself? As Is.

Come look at them. Charter would rather you climb around a truck on the lot, read the inspection report, and drive it than take anyone’s word for what level means.

Frequently asked questions

What do Charter Levels mean? Charter marks every truck Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, or As Is. The level indicates how much reconditioning work was completed before sale and what Charter’s guarantee covers afterward. All levels include a full ECM report, detail, topped-off fluids, working exterior lights, and no active check engine lights. Silver and above receive a 102-point preventive maintenance inspection, Gold and Platinum have all PM inspection items repaired, and Platinum adds polish, DPF cleaning, tires and brakes at 50 percent or better, and a 6-month 50,000-mile third-party warranty.

What is the difference between Gold and Platinum? Both have all preventive maintenance inspection items repaired, plus filters, oil, and air dryer service. Platinum adds full polish and DPF cleaning, tires and brakes at 50 percent life or better, and an included 6-month 50,000-mile third-party warranty. Platinum also carries a longer guarantee window at 20 days or 1,250 miles versus 15 days or 1,000 miles.

What is the difference between Silver and Gold? Silver receives the 102-point preventive maintenance inspection and you get the findings, but the items are not repaired. Gold has all the inspection items repaired, plus all filters and oil changed and air dryer service.

Does Charter’s Guarantee cover the engine? No. Charter does not participate in repairs to the engine, transmission, aftertreatment systems, or rear ends. An aftermarket warranty covering those components may be available for purchase at the time of sale.

Can I get a warranty on a truck that is not Platinum? Yes. The 6-month 50,000-mile third-party warranty is included at Platinum, and warranty options can be purchased at other levels.

Can I see the inspection report before I buy? Yes. Charter welcomes buyers to view the third-party inspection reports, take a test drive, and ask the sales staff questions before purchasing.

How long do I have to make a claim? The window depends on the level: 3 days or 350 miles for Bronze, 10 days or 750 miles for Silver, 15 days or 1,000 miles for Gold, and 20 days or 1,250 miles for Platinum, whichever limit comes first.

See current inventory or call 707-669-6202.

Inconsistencies on the current page that need a decision

These are real contradictions on /charter-packages/ as it stands. None of them are writing problems, so I have not resolved them unilaterally.

1. Four levels or five. The intro paragraph says trucks are marked “Platinum, Gold, Silver, or As Is.” The comparison table has five columns including Bronze, the limits-of-liability section defines Bronze coverage, and the page’s social share image is BRONZE_transparent.png. Either Bronze is a live level and the intro is wrong, or Bronze is retired and the table and liability section need to come out. This has to be settled before anything downstream is correct, including the listing badges and the schema.

2. Two comparison components that disagree. The page has an upper table with five columns and a lower set of cards with four. They contradict each other on As Is: the table shows “Interior & Exterior Detail” as included for As Is, the cards show “Full Detail” as not included. The table also shows “No Check Engine Lights” applying to As Is, which sits oddly next to As Is having no inspection. Pick one component and delete the other.

3. “Charter’s Guarantee” on As Is is undefined. The table shows the guarantee applying to all five levels. The limits-of-liability section defines it for Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum only. So an As Is buyer is being shown a guarantee with no stated terms.

4. The naming is three different things. The URL says packages, the nav says The Charter Difference, the body says Charter Levels, and the liability section says packages again. Pick one. My recommendation is Charter Levels for the grades themselves, since that is what appears on the trucks, with The Charter Difference kept for the five-step process.

5. The As Is auction comparison. The page describes As Is as “similar to what you’d get from an auction or private party.” Given that Charter buys from auctions, flag this to Duke for a read. It is descriptive rather than hostile so it may be fine, but he should be the one deciding.

6. The 90-day BIT inspection deserves explanation. BIT is California’s Basic Inspection of Terminals program, and a 50-point 90-day BIT inspection means something specific to a California operator and nothing at all to a buyer in Ohio. This is the 90-day program Duke has been wanting public phrasing for. It is currently a line in a table with no explanation anywhere on the site.