+ Vic Brailsford is now in charge of truck sales
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at auctions giant ICA (Holdings), which has owned National Car Auctions since March. Formerly NCA's commercial sales manager, Brailsford has become group commercial manager (LGV/plant). He's based at NCA's Mansfield, Notts site and is in charge of six truck and plant auction centres. Tractor sales at auction are generally slow, with traders bidding cautiously and cherry-picking. "The market is by no means buoyant, and some traders are finding that stock is sticking," he reports. Low-powered ex-fleet day-cab tractors are proving to be particularly hard to sell. In Brailsford's view many will end up being exported; and if there's no demand overseas even relatively young 11990-1993) models could end up in the breaker's yard. By contrast, 7.5-tonne tippers are attracting healthy bids, and demand for 17-tonne rigids with box, curtainsider or tipper bodies remains strong. "And 17 and 24-tonners equipped with grabs are fetching good prices. Six-wheel tippers are fetching good money too," he remarks. Up to 75% of entries are being sold across the auctions Brailsford is responsible for, and he'd like to get that figure nearer to 85%.
"But there's a gap between what vendors think their vehicles are worth and what people are prepared to bid for them," he says. Comparatively few trailers are going under the hammer at present, says Brailsford. "If it's a 13.6m triaxle on air it will fetch good money, but 40ft tandems on steel don't command very good prices at all." + is responsible for van sales at seven locations nationwide. He's been promoted from a regional to a national role as group commercial manager (LCV), based at the old Central Motor Auctions site at Wimbledon. ICA (Holdings) also owns the former CMA empire, which it acquired two years ago. "We believe this is the first time any leading auction group has appointed dedicated national LCV and LGV commercial vehicle managers to handle the auction process as a completely separate entity from the sale of cars," says Wright. "We intend to offer the same focus to LCV and LGV vendors as that enjoyed by fleet car vendors."