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Dealers warn 0-licence delays are hitting sales
Page 67
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Dealers fear 0-licence delays could hit their business as funders delay cash releases. Steve Banner reports.
Used truck dealers say they risk losing sales because it is taking new entrants to the industry so long to obtain their operator's licences.
-lypically they used to have to wait two or three weeks.says Steve Smith of independent used truck dealership Smith Brothers Services. -Now it's more like three or four months."
Finance houses will not advance funds until they are sure an 0-licence is in place because they know that without it the truck concerned could be seized by the authorities. As a consequence. rookie hauliers are losing the vehicles they want to other, more established buyers.
Longer and longer
"0-licences are taking longer and longer to get — no two ways about it," says Anthony Wright of independent dealership EVS."Even those funders who tend to be fairly relaxed about their criteria when considering a finance proposal won't look at it if the loan applicant hasn't got one." Smith's approach is to encourage the prospec tivecustomer to talk to 0 the finance house in any case.That way. everything will be in place ready for the day when the 0-licence does arrive; and although the fledgling operator will probably have missed out on the truck he originally wanted, hopefully the dealer will have something similar in stock. •