Tipper sales outstrip souru
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Used truck dealers are finding it hard to get their hands on tippers. Yes, really. Independent d Robert Reynolds highlights an unlikely ray of hope amidst the gloom of the construction indu
• Who wants to buy a tipper? Nobody in their right minds—if you believe media reports of the recession or pundits commenting on woes of the construction industry.
But the surprising fact is that for the past couple of months used tippers have been much in demand. Perhaps the green shoots of economic recovery, which until now have been seen only by Norman Lamont, are finally sprouting on building sites.
Such is the level of interest in multi-wheelers for tipping work that used truck dealers are finding it hard to keep up with demand; partly because few tippers are being repossessed by finance companies.
Either the money men have finally realised that they stand to gain more by keeping customers in business than by pulling the plug, or tippermen are finding enough work to keep up the repayments.
Shod supply
Whatever the reason for the short supply, prices have risen so sharply that dealers are having to pay more to buy tippers than they were selling equivalent models for a couple of months ago.
At one recent auction a G-reg Mercedes 3025 eight-legger fetched more than £25,000, even though it was far from immaculate and failed to start.
This price is up to £7,000 more than dealers were prepared to pay for a similar truck earlier in the year.
Recent reports also suggest that quarries which have managed to secure substantial contracts for stone and sand are finding it hard to meet delivery schedules. As a result several roadstone companies are looking at reviving owner-driver schemes which involve helping would-be owner-drivers to buy and run tippers. In return the owner-drivers would have to agree to work solely for the company.
There is nothing new in this system—roadstone, tarmac and mixer companies have tradition
ally relied on owner-drivers—but it could give a further boost to new and used tipper sales.
However it has to be said that the quarries would attract far more operators if they revised their haulage rates—and not downwards! The , recession has driven tipper rates so far down that some operators are being forced to work for rates which are lower than those set 10 yt Falling rates can inevitable deterioration ir nance standards, as us( dealers will have noticed. uation has to change if I term prosperity of the cp and tipping industry i maintained: at the end ol you can't have one witl other.