1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164 
DRIVING AT AUCTIONS IS STILL BEST
Page 27
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
I read with interest the article "Auction safety concerns raised" (CM28 May-04 June) and, as national HGV and plant manager of Manheim Auctions, wanted to express my own opinion on the issues raised by the article.
Manheim Auctions has surveyed the preferences of our heavy commercial vehicle buyers and, more so than in other sector, they want and need to get the feel of a vehicle —check the tires, hear the engine start up and run. Having run both physical and virtual auctions, our buyers and vendors respond time and time again that they prefer the physical route. Of course, safety is a huge issue for consideration when dealing with any vehicle, especially HGVs, and to ensure safety at our auction centres we have adopted a strict health and safety policy. For example, at every Manheim commercial vehicle auction an experienced yard manager controls the vehicles in and out of the auction and fully-trained drivers wearing fluorescent jackets drive them. A one-way system is also in operation to avoid any unnecessary manoeuvring of vehicles. It should also be
remembered that buyers who attend auctions are truck people who are used to being around these vehicles and respect the safety requirements that need to be adhered to. While we never assume our buyers know how to act around these vehicles, we know they are likeminded people who will respect and adhere to our policies.
Buyers have been purchasing HOVs by actually seeing a vehicle in the auction hall with its engine running for generations, and they will not move over to virtual viewing overnight. There are buyers who are happy to use the Internet to purchase vehicles— this is an excellent way for people who have busy schedules and can't make a physical auction. However, those people who take the time to travel to an auction hall expect to be able to get up close to the vehicles. To maximise residual values of HGVs, it is essential to have vehicles in the auction halls, especially when buying older vehicles that have worked hard and have covered a high mileage. I believe that introducing screens into auction halls is a 'halfway house' between physical auction and buying off the Internet.
Seeing vehicles at auction 'in the flesh' allows vendors to present vehicles honestly, giving buyers the confidence to buy them. Our focus is on providing customers with the best service and we believe that turning HGV auctions into a virtual business would reduce the level of confidence and satisfaction our buyers currently enjoy.
Jeremy Martell MIMI National HGV and plant manager, Manheim Auctions.