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Firms are opting fora DIY approach
Page 51
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Operators are choosing to hang on to their vehicles for a lot longer, while some are taking on servicing and repairs themselves, many dealers are claiming.
Words: Steve Banner COST-CONSCIOUS hauliers who buy late-plate used trucks may be planning to wait a bit longer before they change them, says Lee Smith of independent dealership Hanbury Riverside.
"People who buy a Euro-4-compliant truck could now decide to keep it for at least six years," he states.
He adds: "A Volvo FH will happily clock up a million kilometres or more, so why get rid of it when it's done only 200,0001crn?"
Hauliers who pursue this policy are turning the clock back 40 years, argues Smith, when trucks often had long working lives, even though they required more repairs than their modern counterparts.
"In those days, most hauliers serviced their trucks themselves, and I suspect we'll see more operators reverting back to this practice," he predicts.
"That's partly because, in some cases, the repair and maintenance packages often provided with new trucks aren't as generous as they were."
Smith also believes that some operators who have tried contract hire will switch back to outright purchase because they have found the first option to be too expensive for what they need. •