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Gearing up for export
Page 68
Page 69
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CM'S Mystery Shopper has been scanning the classified ads in our Christmas issue in search of vehicles and trailers that are suitable for export.
Export has become the lifeline of the UK used truck sector. Shipping out the stock no one wants clears the decks for good-quality late-year products to fill the forecourts and keep the pennies rolling.
Exports have kept residuals strong on the kit that's recycled back into the domestic market,and for anything that's heading overseas be prepared for some furious competition as the last pre-e lectronic stock is snapped up.
The sort of things we're looking for are MAN F2000s and Scania 3-Series:failing that, we're after trailers and ageing tippers — we get off to a flyer with several 1997 MAN F2000 18.403s.
The vehicles in the initial ad have, to all intents and purposes, gone but there are some more coming in. We ask where they are coming in from; a printable reply is not forthcoming. But another MAN F2000 (a 26.414 registered in 1996) is available via a different independent dealer.
Gone East
A pattern emerges. Eastern European buyers are also in for this one,and it's as good as gone. We're informed that we might want something newer, but when we tell them we're in the export game the phone goes a little quiet.
The conversation takes a turn for the worse as we're informed that phoning around for stuff to export is a little "desperate—and, to paraphrase the final part of our discussion. "perhaps we should buy direct rather than try to create another middleman level".
There's something else about "no overseas contacts", but the phone dies before we can decipher it. Why should he care if we're exporting? Competition is the answer: there's too little product and too many people looking to cash in. Many overseas destinations have natives over here doing the buying direct.
After more cold-calling we land on a Mecca for export —just about everything here is for overseas. Trouble is, not all of it looks like it could find a market. Successful exporting is about infrastructure.
A lot of importing countries, like the Sudan, Cyprus, Malta and much of the African continent. are geared up for Scania tractor units; that's why the 3-Series is popular.
Simple to fix
With no electronics they can be easily worked on.lbat means any vehicle in any condition is likely k go, even if only for spare parts.
Scani a's competitors don't havt the same presence or infrastructure so it makes it difficult for them to persuade buyers to take their products.There's no service or back-up for spare parts in place that can match the Swedes'. Out of everything available in 7M:s. classified pages the only .urefire winner is an MAN 18-3/3 fx2 tractor—this marque enjoys ;real success in Eastern Europe. lbere are several tippers here too ind they will doubtless go to werseas operators.
There was a time when ;xporters would have gladly aken lower-powered tractors and ,tretehed them, but Cyprus has iannqd this practice so the :ompctition for what is available as been further intensified.
.ack of tippers ks we continue to scour the ads, ippers continue to he thin on the !,-round.As we haven't found tnything of interest we turn our Mention to trailers.
Tandem axle box trailers predominantly ex-Post Office) ire popular for overseas markets; inything on three axles,in good :ondition,is likely to end up in the _.11( rather than overseas.
Fridge trailers are popular in 72.astern Europe but few are wailable and there are several ads ceking to buy this type of trailer.