MC TRUCE & SOS
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"I'd he happy to huy as many as I can
get" Paul Hughes
Paul Hughes is the used truck sales manager for the privately owned Volvo dealership MC Truck and Bus at West Thurrock; he generally has a selection of about 80 vehicles on the 2.5-acre site. "We have just had 10 FM12 340 eight-wheelers back in from contract," he reports. "They were about the first to come back in and when word got around the phone never stopped ringing. They went very quickly— I'd be happy to buy as many as I can get.
"The big 12.1-litre engine has a load of torque, and rated at 340hp it has more than enough power for heavy muckaway work. The truck has a very high specification, almost too good for tipper operation, so it is very popular with owner-drivers as well as fleets. The sort of extras owner-drivers are looking for are electric easy sheeting and automatic tailgates.
"The FM range is still fairly new so we won't see them in big numbers. They have a similar driveline to the HI, which is well proven.
"The engine comes with the powerful Volvo engine brake which is proving popular with tipper drivers as it can save a lot on brake wear. Although there is a 14-speed splitter box option most FM12 eight-wheelers I have seen have been specified with the eight-speed range-change box, which is more than adequate to do the job.
They are generally low mileage vehicles, which on average cover between 50,000 and 60,000 km a year. I have just been offered a Treg for 142,000, which is a bit steep, as I would expect it to retail at about S45,000."