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Drivers choose trucks!
Page 50
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• Hauliers buying used trucks are increasingly being influenced by what their drivers want, according to Steve Smith of independent dealer Smith Brothers Services.
"More and more of our customers are saying, 'my driver is after such-andsuch'," he reports. "In the past he would have been told to take what he was given or clear off, but the driver shortage means that hauliers can't take this attitude any more. They have to take notice of what their lads say."
Not surprisingly, drivers want big cabs and plenty of power. "The engine has got to be at least 400hp," says Smith. "They also want a few twiddly bits to keep them happy, air conditioning, for instance, and the truck has to look the part too—they like to see [mines stacks and chrome wheel trims," Smith believes buying vehicles that please drivers could make sound longterm sense. Aside from helping the firm hang on to valued employees, highly specced tractors generally fetch more money than "gaffer's motors" when disposal time rolls round.
John Rogers, managing director of haulier and dealer EM Rogers, shares
Smith's philosophy: "You can't buy 10year-old boneshakers and expect to attract top drivers."
His firm imports tractive units from the Continent, and drivers' demands for the best tackle may be helping to main
tain demand for these well-equipped trucks. "Volvos, Dafs, and Scanias are the most popular makes," he adds.
"As well as powerful engines and roomy cabs the customers want extras such as spotlights and sun visors. They tend to be cheaper on the Continent than they are in the UK," A top-of-the-range wagon with all the trimmings will typically cost you up to £10,000 less than the equivalent model sourced from a UK dealership, Smith reports.
No matter whether it is employees or bosses in the driving seat, the used truck market is booming—a happy Smith says: "It's brilliant."
One trend driving demand forward Is the desire among many operators to acquire 6x2 Euro-2 tractors to run at 44 tonnes. "Equally, people who ran 6x2s in the past purely for tax reasons are now going back to 4x2s because they don't want to operate at the higher weights," he adds.
Smith Brothers will soon be in a better position to take advantage of the soaring market; it's moving up the road to a larger site close to Junction Ton the M62. "We'll be able to carry a lot more stock," says Smith.