AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Trucks 2 Go joins the Avia network as 'a nice add-on'

22nd March 2007, Page 70
22nd March 2007
Page 70
Page 70, 22nd March 2007 — Trucks 2 Go joins the Avia network as 'a nice add-on'
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

With strong export sales, used vehicle dealer Trucks 2 Go has

expanded its portfolio with an Avia franchise. Steve Banner reports.

Independent used truck dealer Trucks 2 Go has taken on the Avia franchise at its Blackrod, Bolton, site. "It's a nice add-on to our existing business," says Trucks 2 Go MD Chris Hart. "Avia makes attractive, no-frills, reasonably-priced products that people can service themselves and that should appeal to tipper and skip-wagon operators in particular.

"They use Cummins engines that are familiar to UK arms and the forthcoming 12-tonner should be one of the lightest vehicles in its class," he adds. "We should be able to sell 30 to 40 this year."

With an eye to the truck's potential as a lightweight artie Hart is negotiating with a Dutch company to import its range of lightweight trailers:"They can be used to move all sorts of loads — everything from flowers to forklift trucks — as well as being converted into horseboxes and exhibition units."

Not that Hart is neglecting used vehicle sales, and Trucks 2 Go is as active in the used export market as it is in the UK: "We're exporting all sorts of vehicles— everything from Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Vario vans to six and eight-wheel tippers —to countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic, The Poles and Czechs aren't bothered that they're right-hand drive; they convert them to left-hand-drive locally. We've sent some Mercedes tractor units to Kenya too and a 6x4 unit to Trinidad."

Closer to home, Hart is tapping into what appears to be a thriving market for second-hand doubledrive tractor units for heavy haulage. -We've brought some trucks in from Europe to help us satisfy it," he says.There's also plenty of demand for eight wheeler tippers and flatbed 4x2s with cranes, he adds, with even quite elderly examples fetching remarkable prices.

"I recently saw a 1995-vintage steel-bodied Daf 8x4 tipper go for just under £10,000 at auction," Hart says:At the other end of the age range, a 2006 Mercedes Atcgo 1823 4x2 18-tonner with a flatbed body and a crane mounted behind the cab went for £42,500."


comments powered by Disqus