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Has the pre-Christmas wind-down started early? Used truck salesmen around the country are wondering when the phone will ring again.
-USUALLY. WE'RE still busy at this time of year, but interest seems to have fallen off," says Allan Hilton. used vehicle salesman at Ford & Slater, Daf s Kings Lynn, Norfolk, dealership. "Things have gone quiet across the board, from 7.5-tonners to tractor units.
-That said, although enquiries for 95XFs have fallen a bit, we're doing particularly well with '02 registered 430hp CF85 6x2 tractors with standard sleeper cabs," he continues. -They're proving popular with local customers who want to shift sugar beet."
Independent used dealership Mancunian Business Vehicles agrees that there is a lull in trade at the moment.
-Fuel prices are high, people can't get rate increases, so they stop buying trucks." says a company spokesman."! think it will be some time before confidence is rebuilt."
"We're going through a quiet time at present," says Tim Robinson, used sales manager at Hull MAN ERF dealership Torridon Commercial Vehicles. -Hauliers have been complaining about the high price of diesel for a long time, but it's now really starting to bite.
"We could find we benefit though because, when fuel becomes a serious issue, many used buyers drift back to Cummins-powered trucks because they're so frugal."
Most used truck specialists agree that the days when autumn saw a boost in sales as firms bought or hired second-hand vehicles to distribute Christmas goods to retailers have gone.
"I don't think there has been a rush to buy trucks for that purpose this year," says Stuart Wolstenholme, used truck sales manager at Scania dealership West Pennine's Middleton, Manchester, branch.
Not everybody is wondering if the phones have been cut off. Wolstenholme says business is "fairly steady", while West Thurrock, Essex, independent dealership Hanbury Riverside is reporting plenty of demand for the late-year, low-mileage Daf, Volvo and Scania tractor units it specialises in.
Director Lee Smith is wondering if, paradoxically, it is the high fuel price that is working in its favour.
"Some hauliers take the view that the saving they'll make on fuel justifies the cost of switching from an old truck that does 7mpg to a newer one that does 9mpg," he says. "That's particularly the case if you add in the benefits of increased reliability plus a warranty."
And while many dealers say demand for any tractor unit that's pre-2000 has dropped dramatically, independent dealer European Vehicle Sales reports there is keen interest from owner-drivers in clean and tidy 1998/99 vintage Volvo FH Globetrotter and MercedesBenz Actros Megaspace tractor units priced at below £20,000.