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Fleet of fancy
Page 70
Page 71
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Manheim Auctions' Jeremy Martell gives CM the inside track on the products going through at auction. We've saved the best till last — tractor units.
The sands are always shifting when it comes to trends in the new and used markets. New trucks sales set the pace with recent introductions like 44-tonne weight limits, higher horsepower and greater torque, while fresh transport philosophies shape and bend the process.
Various aide configurations, from 6x2 with tag axles through mid-lifts to 4x2, have all enjoyed periods of popularity as those who control the purse strings make decisions to achieve maximum productivity in various circumstances. Perhaps the most significant shift in purchasing happened during the 1990s with centrally controlled mass-fleet logistics companies buying oodles of identically specced vehicles: basic sleeper cabs, 6x2 axle configurations and 380hp engines.
This was good for turnover and manufacturers' sales figures, but they were difficult to offload later. While new truck sales teams argue overprice, residuals and potential performance, used truck sales teams have to think on their feet and find ways to repackage for a smaller market. In the past manufacturers and their respective used dealer networks have shied away from too many identical trucks returning to the marketplace in one hit, which has left the playing field free for Manheim.
In 1998 it changed its approach to remarketing tractor units and is now starting to receive the dividends of tailoring its sales philosophy to handling trunking and distribution-specced vehicles. The key, as always, is attracting the right buyers.
In the past 12 months, Manheim has handled major de-fleeting by huge companies like DHL,Tesco, TNT and Christian Salvesen — stuff that would make the ordinary used vehicle network's eyes water in sheer frustration.
No less than 288 4x2 tractor units were placed at auction over a two-week period allwere sold and are heading overseas. It's a major achievement and testament to our philosophy of handling fleet tractor units.
Products at auction come in two main types: export and domestic. Pre-electronic stock registered around 1997 and 1998 has traditionally been exported to Eastern Europe, but the markets arc starting to change.
New markets like Malaysia are taking more products as Eastern Europe slows down. In all, 80% of vehicles in this category are going overseas. Heavy investment in Eastern Europe by the vehicle manufacturers is making the region better suited to more modern electronic vehicles.
Domestic purchasing is concentrated on post-2002 vehicles, which tend to come back into the hands of operators, traders or even manufacturers.
Tractors are tops
'tractor units are the centrepiece at auction and make up about 30% of the lots at an average sale. The split between twoand threeaxle trucks is generally even, but can differ if a major fleet disposes of a batch of identical vehicles in one go. Product is broken down into preand post-electronic. Depending on the manufacturer, the watershed is somewhere between 1997 and 1999.