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Spring sales are soaring
Page 72
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Business was booming throughout the winter and demand is still strong — though as Steve Banner finds, the bonanza is not universal
AS WINTER turns to spring used sales remain buoyant throughout much of the country.
"Business has been good ever since January and prices seem to be stable," says Brian Morris, the used sales manager at St Helens Renault dealership Woodwards Truck & Van Centre.
He has just celebrated selling four Renault Premium 420 tractor units in a week. A fifth is due. lobe stretched and converted into a 26-tonne curtainsider with a rear lift axle and a tuckaway tail-lift.
"We've been busy too, and I don't think there's been any fall in prices," says Ralph Porter, used truck sales specialist at Cardiff Daf. "The long lead time on new stuff is undoubtedly helping, and there's lots of demand for one to three-year-old lowmileage tractor units in clean condition."
Porter has just disposed of five highly desirable, XF 530 Super Space Cab 6x2 rear lift tractor units, all with alloy wheels and dating back to April 2004. "Lots of people want 85CF 6x2 430 units too, but fitted with the Space Cab rather than the standard flat top cab," he says.
"Eight-wheelers fly out of the door. If! get one in the yard people are down there almost literally fighting over it, and it's the same with mixer chassis.
"At the lighter end of the scale, there's lots of interest in 45 Series tippers." he adds."We've not seen too many LF's come back yet though.I suspect that once again lead times on the new ones have got a lot to do with it, with customers hanging on to the old ones for a bit longer until the new ones arrive."
"Business has been good in recent weeks, and we certainly can't complain," says Allan Hilton, used vehicle salesman at Kings Lynn, Norfolk dealership Ford & Slater Daf. "There's been a healthy level of demand for 7.5-tonners in particular, but we still have to contend with shortages of desirable stock."
Given the current situation are operators prepared to accept lateregistered vehicles with a higher than usual mileage?
"That's something they're very cautious about," says Hilton. "We went through a period where customers seemed happy to accept late-year trucks with high mileages, but they seem to have changed their minds."
However, not everybody is finding that the used market is forging ahead. "Things seem to have gone dead. They're not good at all, and I don't know why," says Ron Counsel, sales manager at Cardiff Renault dealership EnglandsTrucks.
"It's a bit quiet at present, and I think a lot of it has got to do with the shortage of desirable second-hand trucks," says independent dealer Martin Rhodes. "Companies aren't disposing of vehicles until their long-awaited new replacements are delivered, so used buyers are facing a bit of a wait.
"I certainly don't think the hire companies are selling off as many as they were."