ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT
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Truck dealers argue that they are best placed to maintain their own vehicle marque, but that reasoning breaks down if ancillary equipment such as tail-lifts and fridge units are included on the truck’s R&M contract. There is also the crucial issue of labour rates. Specialist ancillary maintenance services often charge about two-thirds the hourly rate of franchised truck dealers, so many truck dealers call on these specialists to provide these services on their behalf.
“Because of the volume of work we give them, we can get a better rate than a small or medium-sized haulier,” reasons James Ostridge, service contracts manager at Mercedes-Benz UK. Test that hypothesis by pricing-up separate service contracts for ancillary equipment before ticking the option boxes on the truck manufacturer’s R&M contract.