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Tidy tipper is fair to Midium
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agent for the Stoke-on-Rent area, and while the site is tucked away down a side street in Fenton the location is handy enough, just a mile or so off the popular A50 east-west M6/M1 link and within swift repair distance of one of the busiest stretches of the M6 motorway between Brum and Manchester.
According to the registrations in the area the local vehicle pare is geared toward distribution. with 42% of the vehicles at 7.5 tonnes or below.This tends to dictate the stock on offer at the site: even among the tractors local demand favours Premiums over Magnums.
"The operators we're dealing with are focused on lightweight, local distribution," says Staffs CV finance director Sue Ellams. "Besides those heavy truck users in the area tend to be national accounts,while we focus on the retail sector."As a result the Staffs CV ethos is one of customer care, first and foretnost.
Instant impression Arriving at the two-acre site the Midlum tipper immediately caught our eye.This ex-TLS rental machine had 25,000km on the clock and was priced to sell at £15,995 (exVAT) ready for the road, It was freshly painted with no obvious signs of a tough rental life.
Staffs CV managing director Dave Watts was on hand to explain the smart finish: "Inevitably when a vehicle has been on tipper work it will have picked up its share of cosmetic scrapes and bump, but if we're going to win business we've got to do more than just move metal:we've got to add some value to the product."
In the case of our test subject that involved shot blasting the chassis and re-spraying it, along with the body and cab. "The cab is finished in metallic paint, while the body has a norrnal finish,"Watts explained. "As a tipper it's going to pick up bumps and scrapes and I'll give the buyer a tin of paint so he can touch up the body with a brush... that wouldn't be so simple with a metallic finish."
Sound health Our inspection team took a closer look at the 7.5-tonner and found little to fault with the paint job or the presentation of the vehicle. The dropside body had a few dents but nothing more, and most importantly the floor was sound.The Edbro front-end tipping gear hoisted the admittedly unladen body at its full tipping angle in one swift action.There were no sign of hydraulic leaks from the PTO or associated piping, or any untoward noises from the engine with the PTO engaged.
Before delivery Staffs CV gives every vehicle a thorough valet on the inside, but this specimen had yet to receive the full treatment, which allowed us to assess ju, hard it's been worked. Initial pressions were good.Apart f some tea stains on the two-rn bench seats — at least that's w we hope they were — the inte wasn't showing any signs of a As an ex-rental truck it we be naïve to expect the interic be immaculate, but everythir including the radio, worked there were no obvious signs of abuse.
Since its launch in 2000 the Midlum ha impressed with its versatility, and while ti interior may not match the style and hut the Daf LF, which uses the same panellin little Renault is a well-built machine.
We took it out for a brief unladen test ( and while that was never going to tell us the truck fired up without trouble, there' no sign of smoking on tickover or accelei tion, the temperature gauge held steady the brakes brought us to an abrupt halt (1 unladen, don't forget).
With just two years work and 25,000k: under its belt, we shouldn't be too surpri that the Midlum is holding together well with a fine pain t job and thorough interi valet the little tipper certainly gives an 'a new' impression and is sure to find a nev home soon.