"Not that popular with the big fleets."
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Chris Wright is the managing director of Commercial Vehicle Auctions. He has traded in Doncaster since 1989 and holds twicemonthly sales on Wednesdays with a regular throughput of 160 to 200 trucks and 80 to 150 trailers, as well as items of plant equipment.
"We just don't see that many Seddon Atkinsons of any age, let alone the latest Strata tractive units. Availability at auction is relevant to the numbers sold new and they just are not that popular with the big fleets.
"Quite a few are bought when new by owner-drivers who either trade them in or sell them on privately. The Strato shares a good drive line with both Foden and ERF so it should perform well enough, but in my estimation the ERF is a better-built truck.
"A lot were sold with the 380hp Cummins engine which has a good reputation. The 16speed synchromesh box has to be better than Eaton's 12-speed Twin Splitter for fuel consumption. The narrow cab comes with a high roof but the spec is better with the EuroStar cab, but Seddon Atkinson is just not able to convey that high-quality image.
"The latest model is only just about three years old now. At auction you can expect to pay about £13,000 for an early 6x2 unit with a high roof sleeper cab—£3,000 less will buy a 4x2 and you can knock another £1,000 off if the standard height cab suits your requirements."