DIFFERENT SITUATION FOR TRUCKS
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CHANGES TO TRUCK LEZ requirements see an increase from Euro-3 to Euro-4 in emission standards, which means only trucks registered on or after 1 October 2006 meet the changes. But there are signs that market demand is starting to cool.
Several used truck dealers in the South East have stopped buying for stock and are now only ordering Euro-4 trucks to meet specific demands. One dealer, who wishes to remain anonymous, says many operators running into London are doing so with fixed fleets of compliant and non-compliant vehicles. “They tend to use any one of them at the moment to get the job done but, come 3 January 2012, they will run only the compliant ones into London,” he says.
This move is likely to see a softening of the strong prices because it appears that the majority of hauliers are ready for the change. Emphasis is switching to servicing ownaccount businesses that might still not be ready for LEZ.
Rental company Collease has spent more than £3m on new vehicles for the changes in next year’s LEZ, including 20 new refrigerated vehicles to keep existing customers compliant next year. Director Duncan Scillitoe says: “By January we will have 70% of the 1,000strong fleet compliant for LEZ, which is about the right balance.” To continue to run more than 30 vehicles plated 55 and 06, Collease has spent £250,000 on making them LEZ-compliant using Eminox emissions equipment through its sister company Norfolk Truck & Van.
“Many own-account operators have left it too late to buy, and subsequently build, compliant vehicles. It is difficult to get customers to talk about LEZ, they are too focused on their own business to think about it and only now are they considering it,” he says.