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Emergency purchase
Page 68
Page 69
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Just 20 minutes on the blower to find a fleet tractor to work at 40 tonnes? If anyone can do it, it's CAA's Mystery Shopper. Get set...
Go! The task is simple enough — we need a truck at 40 tonnes gross vehicle weight with a 25-tonne payload capacity for delivering between a factory and RDCs. But in only 20 minutes? We draw a blank on the first two Scania dealers we call — nothing matches what we want. Nineteen minutes left. Not long after, though, we land the perfect truck — a 2003-registered (52-plate) Renault Premium 420.18 that's white and tidy inside and out. "Well worth a look," says the seller,"as we don't have many of these left." It's priced at £15,750 (exVAT), and he says he might throw something else in. Not a brick,' hope," I joke. "No," he replies... -tumbleweed."
Thirteen minutes left.Volvo also sounds promising and an FM12 380hp sleeper cab is up for grabs at an independent dealer. It's older and more expensive, but it sounds like a decent motor. Registered in 2002 on a 51-plate it's the first of the latest generation FM12s and the dealer wants a tad over £20,000 (ex-VAT) for it.
Nine minutes left.The two Germans struggle to match what I want and conscious of the time I move on. Seven minutes left. Daf Trucks is the next port of call.The second call finds me a CF85 430hp 4x2 with a sleeper cab plated 02, registered 2002 and priced at £17,699 (ex-VAT). I thank the sales person for their promptness, hang up and check the watch. One minute left. I review the notes and call time.
Conclusion
It was a tough choice and we'd be hard-pressed to make a definite decision based on the facts we garnered during the frantic 20minute spell. Based on the notes. Daf got the nod — but we would be forced to backtrack if it wasn't clean. Just 20 minutes? Not nearly long enough. •