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• A leading independent dealer has called on manufacturers to cut the prices of new trucks in the UK.
"I believe operators are paying too much compared with the prices charged in Europe," says Lee Smith, general manager of Essex independent dealership Hanbury Riverside. "If trucks aren't overpriced here, then how come parallel importers are in business? The question has got to be asked."
Smith also takes a side-swipe at Saturday auctions. "They're a day out for bidders, and they seem to catch something called 'auctionitis' which means they have to buy, come what may," he contends. "But the bargains they get aren't always as good as they think they are."
Previously known as a Volvo loyalist, Smith is now stocking a higher proportion of Scanias.
"It's a reflection of what we've been able to buy, and Scania prices seem to have shifted downwards a little," he explains.