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worth crossing
CM has been busy visiting dealers in the North and Midlands so for a change our latest dealer drop-in coincided with the annual open day held by Daf main dealer
Channel Commercials.
Daf dealership Channel Commercials used its annual open day to show off its new dealership venue.The company recently invested heavily in an impressive new site close to its original depot, within the Cobbswood Industrial Estate in Ashford, moving in late last year.
Daf dealership Channel Commercials used its annual open day to show off its new dealership venue.The company recently invested heavily in an impressive new site close to its original depot, within the Cobbswood Industrial Estate in Ashford, moving in late last year.
Daf dealership Channel Commercials used its annual open day to show off its new dealership venue.The company recently invested heavily in an impressive new site close to its original depot, within the Cobbswood Industrial Estate in Ashford, moving in late last year.
Channel runs satellite sites at Aylesham, Strood and Sevenoaks and is also an LDV van dealer. In addition to providing ample yard parking for new and used vehicles, the new Channel site boasts a major paintshop and vehicle refurbishing section. However, its old premises are still used for new vehicle preparation and, unique in the Daf network, for Channel's own approved pet-reg conversions.
Joint managing director Ron Stupple is a keen advocate of retailing used vehicles but his emphasis is more on quality that quantity.That said, Channel already sells close to 100 used Dafs a year and Stupple believes that in 2004 volumes are likely to hit 150 quite comfortably."We don't rush at it, but if the deal stacks up then we'll do it. We're running quite well on used this year," he reports. Interestingly, Stupple says:"We don't run with a special used truck salesman — we try to keep it that the guys selling new trucks will also retail used." Channel sources a fair amount of its used stock via CVC — Dal's used truck operation— and Stupple keeps a close watch on returning ex-contract hire and leasing stock.The
advantage of buying from CVC, says Stupple, is that with most vehicles being serviced through the Daf network on contract maintenance packages: "You know just what you're buying and how well it's been looked after."
Sitting on the Channel forecourt during our visit was a batch of ex-James Irlam CF85 artics due to be refurbished, repainted and retailed back into the market. "We'll happily keep book value on them," reports Stupple. Each vehicle gets a full MoT and service runthrough to ensure it meets Euro-2 specification."We'll take the wheels off too" says Stupple. "And, if they need a re-line, we'll do it and even recon the gearbox if necessary."
The red Mani machines are already destined for major operator Aylesford-based SCATransport UK and CM had the chance to drive one of a batch of eight used artics. Having gone through the Channel used system, the 6x2 CF85.430 was sporting a smart white livery and SCA logos ready to get on with the job. With Channel's long-serving tandem-axle test trailer behind us we were pretty close to gross weight as we headed out onto the A20 for a short spin. With us was Tun Attwood, national fleet engineer for SCA Transport UK who, as luck would have it, had also dropped in on Channel's open day. According to Attwood, buying second-hand makes good commercial sense, particularly when a company is looking for operational flexibility when running a truck on short-term customer contracts. "A two to three-year-old tractor with half a million miles on it is still a good tool, especially if it's been contract serviced. We tried a couple to start with and Channel has supported us well. If there's According to Attwood, buying second-hand makes good commercial sense, particularly when a company is looking for operational flexibility when running a truck on short-term customer contracts. "A two to three-year-old tractor with half a million miles on it is still a good tool, especially if it's been contract serviced. We tried a couple to start with and Channel has supported us well. If there's According to Attwood, buying second-hand makes good commercial sense, particularly when a company is looking for operational flexibility when running a truck on short-term customer contracts. "A two to three-year-old tractor with half a million miles on it is still a good tool, especially if it's been contract serviced. We tried a couple to start with and Channel has supported us well. If there's According to Attwood, buying second-hand makes good commercial sense, particularly when a company is looking for operational flexibility when running a truck on short-term customer contracts. "A two to three-year-old tractor with half a million miles on it is still a good tool, especially if it's been contract serviced. We tried a couple to start with and Channel has supported us well. If there's
been a problem they've dealt with it quickly and that's why we've come back for some more.They refurbish the vehicles and when we get them they're ready to work the next day." The quality of the interior certainly belied its time as a hard-working fleet trunker with Irlams and, apart from some wear on the right hand edge of the driver's seat,the cab was in perfect order. Out on the road the 430's 12-litre engine proved lively, even with the laden trailer behind it,and with just under 480,000km on the clock it's nicely run in too—while we enjoyed the solid handling we've come to expect from Daf's twinsteer. But what impressed most was the CF85's precise steering, which showed none of the precise steering, which showed none of the play or slack
often encountered on"pre-owned" machines.
Given the quality of the used Daf we have to wonder why so many operators still insist on buying brand new, especially when factory lead times for new trucks appear to be creeping upwards once again.