Cast trucks are the cheapest option and there are a lot of companies and models to choose from. Precision trucks are fewer are they are more recommended for technical riding, like downhill or technical sliding. they also cost about seven times the price of cast trucks, so if you don’t feel your wallet is thick enough, trust me when I say that they don’t make that big a difference, especially to the novice long boarder.
Choose the width of your truck according to the width of your board. Usually the boards are measured in inches and the trucks in millimeters, but you’ll get the hang of it. What not to do is choose narrow trucks for wide boards and vice versa. A narrow truck on a wide board will eat away all stability and you will find yourself sprawled on the asphalt more times than you wish for it to happen. While wide trucks on narrow boards will have only stability and nothing else, you won’t be able to turn a corner if your life depended on it. And with long boarding, it often does.
Check the angle of the trucks. All companies list their models together with the inclination, and keep in mind that a 42 degree truck will offer more stability with a compromise to lean and turn, so it’s better suited for downhill and speed, where stability is much more important than lean. On the other hand, 50 degree trucks or 52 degree trucks are less stable for downhill but they provide an excellent cruising experience as they allow the rider to lean and turn out of obstacles or curves. There are several other angles between these listed above, but you get the point.
Also, the construction a traditional kingpin truck, the usual skateboard truck has a different feel than a reversed kingpin truck, the usual longboard truck. It is more difficult, next to impossible to downhill on a traditional kingpin truck, but you can do almost everything with a reverse kingpin truck, that’s why they are a lot more popular with long boarders.