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29th May 1997, Page 32
29th May 1997
Page 32
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TREAT

• This year Seddon Atkinson celebrates its 90th anniversary. Atkinson and Co began life at Preston in 1907 and Seddon started in business 12 years later in Pendleton, near Salford, although at that time neither firm made trucks. Atkinson built its first steam wagon in 1916 but the depression proved too much for the company and it closed in 1929. It was resurrected in 1931.

It was 1938 before Seddon started production of a six-tonner powered by an 85hp Perkins diesel engine. By 1969 Atkinson was producing about 1,800 chassis a year and its finances were so healthy that the company attracted hostile bids, first from ERF, then from Foden and finally from Seddon.

In five months its share price rose by 75%—to a price that Leyland, which owned 20% of Atkinson's shares, felt was simply too good to turn down. Other Atkinson share holders followed suit

Personalities apart, it seemed a good merg

We tested two Seddon Atkinson 210s in 1994. The first was a 6x2 tag axle factory conversion with a low chassis height plated at 21 tonnes; the second was a regular 1 7-tonner Both were powered by the Perkins Pl2aser engine rated at 21ohp that allowed us to romp along in the 1 7-tonner at any speed we chose. Tall gearing made moving off hard work but once rolling the engine pulled hard. With a day cab the 210 4x2 weighed in at 4.84 tonnes; the high roof sleeper added 280kg This left it with a 12.02-tonne body payload allowance, which was better than some of the opposition fitted with just a day cab. It returned 12.5mpg--not the most fuelefficient truck we had tested but nonetheless fuel economy was good. The brakes worked without delay and we liked the light steering We would have liked a better lock on the steering but it was acceptable with the long (6.25m) wheelbase. Although the cab did not roll much the ride was a little hard and would have been a lot more tiring without the Isringhausen suspension seat. The nine-speed box gave the required flexibility at 21 tonnes but the six-speed on the 1 7-tonner felt stiff wiwn cold and did not free up with use, leaving us with a healy notchy action, but the gears were well

spread. The grey interior and rubber floor cover seemed practical for _fleet use.

The single bunk was wide enough for the occasional night out, if a little thin, and the high roof provided more living space than the average 1 7-tonner There was ample stowage space under the bunk and an outside locker for tools. Once past the gear lever the low floor section al the front of the engine cover made for easy cross-cab movement. The Seddon Atkinson 210 cost less than the slightly heavier Leyland Daf 60210 but about £2,300 more than the similarly specified Foden 2250.

er. Seddon's lighter models dovetailed with Atkinson's heavy range. Two years later another bidder came into the market. The American truck and agricultural machinery manufacturer International I larvester already owned a third of Oaf; by 1974 it had acquired all of Seddon Atkinson's shares, Even 25 years ago truck manufacturers saw the advantages of grouping together in large conglomerates but Iffs incursion into the European market was not to last and in 1985 SA was sold on to the Spanish stateowned Enasa group, which included Pegaso.

At the end of 1989 F,nasa itself was the target of a joint MAN/Mercedes takeover. That bid came to nothing, but in 1992 Iveco added Pegaso to its European acquisitions. In gaining control of the Spanish truck builder it took on the Oldham plant where Seddon had started building trucks all those years ago.

• EVOLUTION

While a subsidiary of Pegaso, Seddon Atkinson benefited from the Cabtec programme which was introduced for 17-tonners, multi-wheelers and tractive units in various levels of trim. But such was the pace of change that SA was simultaneously producing models with the old III cab, the Cabtec cab and the Iveco cab which was adopted on the 17-tonner from 1993.

In 1986 the 201/2.11 Series was launched; initially with the 5.8-litre T6 Perkins turbodiesel, then powered by the Perkins 6.0-litre Phaser engine rated at a nominal I60hp and 1.80hp. The drivel ine included a six-speed synchromesh ZE box which drove through a splitter axle.

These models were superseded by the 210 early in 1993.

The new model was powered by the 5.9-litre Cummins B-Series diesel, which was chargecooled to produce 210hp. The Perkins Phaser was also offered, with an identical power rating but slightly less torque.

The Eaton six-speed transmission was joined by a 7.1-tonne front axle, 11.5-tonne Rockwell drive axle and ABS brakes. The cab featured tinted glass, an electric passenger window, driver's suspension seat and an adjustable steering column. Four wheelbase options ranged from 3.93m to 6.25m.

In January 1994 SA replaced the six-speed box with Eaton's nine-speed 6109 transmission as standard.

• OPERATORS

Squires is a family firm of bulk earth movers based at Southwell, about nine miles east of Nottingham. Phil Squires is managing director of the company his father started 27 years ago. As well as plant equipment such as diggers, dozers and 25-tonne dump trucks, he runs 10 muck-shifting multi-wheelers.

When the owner of a local skip loader company retired last year Squires, with some reservations, bought its assets, including three 17-tonners. "They were Leyland Freighters which fitted in with our predominantly Leyland Oaf fleet," says Squires. "They turned out to be quite a good investment as we have about doubled the tonnage since.

"At the beginning of this year we decided it was time to update," he adds, "so we looked at the 55-Series and Mercedes-Benz 17-towers, but it's difficult to get demonstrators for skip work. We finally settled on the Seddon Atkinson. The sales rep at Sherwood was very helpful in sorting out the specification and the dealer took the three Leylands in part exchange. The price was slightly less than for the Leyland Daf 55 Series and we were getting 210hp as against 180hp.

"We have had Seddons in the past so the Cummins/Eaton/Rockwell driveline was one that we already knew about," says Squires. "We thought that the cab, which comes with electric windows, had better trim and it looked more modern than the Leyland as well, which has kept the drivers happy" The broader picture also impressed Squires: "The five-year warranty on the driveline was a big factor in making up our minds," he recalls, "A lot of things we wanted came as standard, like the steel bumper, light grills and meaty sump guard, and it has good ground clearance. We had a few niggling faults—the speed limiters played up on all three. It's an intermittent fault but we have sorted one of them out now. We had a suspect radiator on one, which the dealer changed over the weekend. Based on our experience the backup from Sherwood is adequate, but not nearly as good a we get from Lex with the Leyland Dafs," says Squires. Long runs are not an issue for his Seddons: "They operate mostly within a 30-mile radius...it's all stop/start work but not very hilly so the six. speed box is fine. They're equipped with Telehoist loading arms and carry an Sycla steel skip. We set an eight-tonne payload limit, which gives us about half a tonne to spare on the shortest 3.8m wheelbase, but the average weight of the skip is about 4.2 tonnes. The 11.3 tonnes rear axle is spot-on for lifting the skip from the rear and with an eight-tonne front axle there's no risk of overloading either.

"They cover 60,000km to 70,00Iun a year," he says, "so we're pretty pleased with lOmpg, especially when you consider the standing time. The 200-litre fuel tank is a bit small and only just lasts on a long day. I expect to keep them for about five years but I suppose the acid test is, would I buy another? The answer is yes—in fact, I'm looking for a 17-tonne tipper less than two years old at this moment and I would consider either an Iveco or Seddon Atkinson."

Ken Wagstaff is the proprietor of WPS Express (Nottingham), part of the World Parcels System with 70 depots operating throughout the UK. He started out in light transport more than 20 years ago and has been in the parcels business for the past seven. All NITS movements in the Nottingham area pass through his depot at Tuxford, providing ample work for a 17-tonner, a 7.5-tonner and several vans.

"I traded in a 7.5-tonne 813 Cargo with Sherwood in Nottingham in February against the Seddon Atkinson 210 17-tonner because the financial package it offered was OK," Wagstaff says. "It's on a five-year leasing deal, which gives me fixed pricing. At the end of the term I get 95% of the value or [can continue to run it for a peppercorn rent. I took two other quotes but Seddon Atkinson was substantially less than both.

"It's the long 56m-wheelbase model which is what I need for parcels," he adds. "It has a sleeper cab that I don't really need but it gives more room for the dri ft/ vers. It also came with the Cummins

engine, but I would have been just as happy with the Perkins Phaser unit, which has just as good reputation. The truck operates on a day and a night shift five days a week so the mileage is quite high— about 120,0001u/1—and I will probably change it after five years. It runs loaded both ways 100% of the time. An average load weighs about seven tonnes and the fuel consumption is about 13mpg.

'We stipulated a curtainsided body", he adds, "which the dealer arranged to be supplied by Derbyshire Commercial Bodybuilders. It's essential for our work because we load stillages and pallets by fork truck. Taking it to the main dealer would tie up the vehicle and the driver for too long so I have it serviced locally, where the labour rates are better" Wagstaff has had few problems with his 210: "So far it has been pretty reliable," he says, "but there was one problem. It stopped on the road because of fuel starvation. The dealer responded quickly and took it in. It turned out that there was a pill bottle in the tank that had somehow blocked the outlet! They only took a little while to find it and the truck was back in service for the next shift."

Mike Flello is depot manager for BD Fuels, a distributor for Texaco that supplies farms, hauliers, filling stations and domestic customers in Staffordshire.

The company operates six Seddon Atkinsons including an eight-wheeler, three six-wheelers and two 17-tanners.

"We started 19 years ago and we have been a Seddon Atkinson fleet from day one," Flello says. "The first ones had International engines and when Seddon Atkinson changed over to Cummins we stuck with them. To start with we thought that the Cummins engine was better than the Perkins and we have no complaints. The only fault we have ever had was with the liners on a truck that we had run for about three years. Cummins took it back to West Bromwich where they put a new block in it and didn't charge us for it. Well, you can't ask for better service like that.

"We have had the Iveco-cabbed 210 17-tanner, equipped with a 1,270-litre tank, since February 1993," he adds. We keep our tankers for about five years and normally sell them on complete—there are quite a few operators interested in them. We tend to buy them outright and I think the residuals are fairly good, but we don't have anything to compare them with. There isn't a lot of difference on new prices. I doubt if there is .£1,000 between the lot of them. "We operate within a 30-mile radius so the mileage is not that high; about 60,000 a year," says Flello. "The fuel consumption is another point in favour of Cummins. The B-Series is returning 11.5mpg and we get over lOmpg with our 325hp 8x4. On the earlier 17-tonner we suffered from broken springs on the drive axle, but that has not been a problem on the new model. The only trouble we have is when the cab's front suspension bushes wear—they allow the cab to drop down in contact with the top of the steps. It's just been back in for new bushes to put that right.

"The drivers like the cab," he concludes. "It's comfortable, visibility is good and the electric windows are particularly useful on our type of work."

Chapman Commercials is an independent dealer based at Trafford Park, Manchester, which specialises in the light end of the market. Niel Chapman says that he generally has between 40 and 50 vehicles in stock, ranging from 7.5 to 17 tonnes, as well as a selection of tractive units.

"I have just bid on a couple of Seddon Atkinson 210 17-tormers but didn't get either," he says. "I think you could say they cost less than some of the other 17-tanners in the used truck market and for that reason they're good value for the money, but there are not too many about "Own-account operators buy them from new and owner-drivers pick them up secondhand, says Flello. "They like the driveline but always with the Cummins engine. They aren't too heavy so the payload is good and they make good tippers. The cab is well made. It's much better than the older one. The plastic trim is stronger than it used to be but the seating material is not up to the job. It wears too quickly" At Ryland North West, a Seddon Atkinsonfranchised dealer at John Street, Warrington, truck salesman Lee Tickle knows what operators want on their 17-tanners: "We find that they are almost 100% Cummins in this area," he finds. "On the earlier 201/2.11 Series we only offered Perkins but there was a switch over after 1992 once the B-Series became available. A lot of customers down-spec from the standard nine-speed transmission to the lower-cost six-speed option. It is slightly lighter, which can also be a benefit.

"On new vehicles we probably fit more box bodies than anything else," he adds. "But in the second-hand market a curtainsider is easier to sell. Our used stock of up to half-a-dozen vehicles across the range mainly consists of vehicles we have taken back in part exchange. We haven't got a 17-tanner in at the moment but the book price for an L-reg with day cab and box body would be between £13,000 and £16,000. A tipper will fetch slightly more at between £14,000 and £17,000.

Although part of the Iveco group Seddon Atkinson has a separate distributor network with 22 outlets. While Iveco as a whole is strong, taking 17.9.% of the 17-tonne market, Seddon Atkinson's contribution is just 2.8%. In vehicle terms that represented sales of just 227 chassis last year and these figures are inevitably reflected in their availability on the used truck market.

While the 210s are not widely popular, those operators who buy them speak well of their strong driveline and reliability matched to the comfortable Iveco cab. Dealer backup was described by one operator as adequate; it lags a bit behind other manufacturers in the terms of the customer service they are able to provide.

by Bill Brock


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