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Demand surges for late-plate Euro-3
Page 68
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Concerns over digitachs are increasing interest in low-mileage Euro-3 tractors. Steve Banner reports.
With Euro-4 imminent, demand for late-registered low-mileage Euro-3 tractor units is soaring at West Thurrock, Essex-based independent used dealership Hanbury Riverside. Director Lee Smith says the fact the vehicles are likely to be fitted with analogue rather than digital tachographs is adding to their appeal.
"People don't like change," says Smith."They don't want additional expense, more technology they feel they really don't need, and more red tape. They're comfortable with what they know. and the whole debate over EGR vs SCR and fuel consumption is breeding uncertainty."
Approach of Euro-4
Independent dealer Peter Hassan, of Lympne, Kentbased Eurowise Truck and Van,says:"Euro-4 and digital tachographs are certainly having an effect on the demand for late-plate used vehicles.
-If people see the opportunity not to buy new, then they will take it.We're definitely seeing customers buying used trucks when they might normally have bought new ones."
It's the same story at the Middleton, Manchester branch of Scania dealership West Pennine, says used truck sales manager Stuart Wolstenholme. "We're selling a lot of used 6x2 tractor units to people who usually buy new, and not haying to use digital tachographs is one of the reasons.
"What's more, some customers are specifically asking the people who run our rental fleet for trucks with analogue rather than digital tachos."
The demand for clean, late-registered vehicles is depleting dealer stocks, and replacements are difficult to locate, -We normally carry 60 trucks, and at one point earlier this year we were down to as few as nine," says Hassan.
Under those circumstances it's easy for a dealer to panic and go out and buy everything he sees — but, says Hassan, that's about the worst thing you can do. "All that happens is you end up with a yard full of rubbish. As it happens we're finding some good stuff now, and a lot of it is pre-sold."
Mark Mellor. who specialises in used sales at Leeds MAN-ERF dealership Reliance, has not yet had Euro-4 raised as an issue by customers, "Digital tachos have occasionally come up, though, and so has the price of new vehicles from certain manufacturers and their availability," he says. "In some cases customers are having to wait anything from 16 to 20 weeks for delivery."
Another dealer adds that these days it seems as though manufacturers are less inclined to order vehicles from the factory for stock. "Everything ends up being built from scratch to the exact requirements of the individual haulier.
"That's OK in the sense that hc should end up getting exactly what he wants, but he's going to have to wait ages for the privilege."
Digital fears
Andy Mackay, used sales specialist at Manchester Daf dealership Chat fields, believes digital tachographs worry some customers more than the EGR/SCR conundrum.
He has recently taken in 16 more ex-James Ham 2003-vintage 03-registered Daf XF95 430 6x2 Spacecab tractor units. Part of their appeal to many buyers will be that they have analogue tachos and come from a good home.
"Irlarn is well-known for maintaining its trucks to a very high standard, and although they may have done a few miles. they're motorway miles," says Mackay.
The rising interest in late-registered Euro-3 analogue trucks might prompt some dealers to take advantage of their restricted availability to raise prices to unreasonably high levels. Mackay believes that would be a mistake.
"We've been making money on the Irlam trucks we've sold, but we're not making a fortune on each one," he says. "Don't forget there are still a lot of hauliers out there who are going bust." •