Wise guys realise there's danger in second-hand buys
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It's a buyers' market at the moment with used vehicles but you must still be careful that it's not you that's being used. Steve Gray, Glass's Guide in back pocket, dons his sheepskin and kicks a few tyres
THE REASONS why operators buy second-hand lorries are al: most as numerous and varied as the vehicles themselves. A sudden, unexpected increase in business, a short-term contract, a particular job which might ruin a new vehicle or simply a cash flow problem — these are just a few of the factors.
And buying second-hand often does make a great deal of commercial sense. For example, there is a great difference between Laying out £30,000 for a new tractive unit and paying perhaps, £10,000 for a five or six year old model.
Of course, nothing is for nothing, and the used vehicle will have probably covered a substantial mileage and potentially be less reliable. Having said that, there are plenty of operators who will tell you how their new vehicles are always breaking down while the older ones keep on going!
The first point to consider when attempting to buy secondhand is that it is a buyers' market at the moment. When CM last looked at the used vehicle jungle back in 1979 the reverse was true. Business was booming then, and the supply of good quality used trucks had virtually dried up.
As always happens in these cases, a number of less than scrupulous dealers "tarted up" vehicles which were only fit for the scrap yard and tried to sell them for premium prices. Unfortunately in many cases they succeeded, with the inevitable result that the used vehicle business got an even worse name than it had before.
Today not only is the market over supplied with lorries — largely due to the recession — but this quality is higher. There are a number of reasons for this. First, during the start of the recession many operators, faced with a reduction in business, were forced to lay up vehicles. Now, rather than lay up older vehicles which would be worthless in three or four years, they chose to store the newer ones.
The rationale for this was that these later models would still be presentable and, more importantly, in good mechanical order ready for work — when it came.
No-one expected the recession to last as long as it has and a lot of these laid-up trucks are now getting a bit long in the tooth. Some companies who have found their volume of work picking up and who are conscious of their image have therefore been unwilling to put these vehicles back into service and have opted to buy new and sell off the old ones. The net result is that a good number of fairly low mileage vehicles are currently on the market while a large number of really old trucks have been driven into the ground and scrapped.
Another factor influencing the condition of second-hand vehicles at the moment is the tightening up of the enforcement of 0-licence maintenance requirements, which makes it more difficult for operators to duck their responsibilities and skimp on servicing. This in itself tends to make the trucks inherently more reliable.
Having said there is plenty of choice and the condition of vehicles is generally pretty good, the potential used buyer should still be on his guard — there are still many rogues about. The first clue to any vehicle's condition is the mileage it has covered. Here the introduction of the tachograph has worked in the favour of the buyer. Tachographs, unlike speedometers, are notoriously difficult to "clock". Thus the reading on the odometer section of the tachograph is likely to be correct.
Remember, though, that as it is recorded in kilometres, it is possible that it could have been round the clock once. A quick assessment of the general condition, coupled with the vehicle's age and, if possible, an idea of the type of work it has been doing, will soon decide whether this is the case or not.
The next move is to make a careful inspection of the vehicle's cab and, where applicable, bodywork. Externally, look for signs of accident damage which has been poorly repaired — rust invariably starts to take hold here.
Look too for the tell-tale bubbles or blisters on the paintwork which indicate rust breaking through. Remember that if it is showing on the surface it will be well established beneath.
Check for wear in the door hinges. This will give a good indication as to how much the vehicle has been used, especially with distribution trucks.
Once you have made sure the outside is sound, cast your eyes around the interior. Worn brake and clutch pedal rubbers are a good clue to usage, but lift up the rubber mat or carpet too and look for rust holes. You might also see evidence of accident damage which is not visible externally. It is surprising how many repairers neglect to straighten the floor properly.
The steering wheel is another good indicator to the amount of use the truck has had; one which has a worn plastic surface points to a high mileage.
It is difficult to get a good idea of the mechanical condition of a vehicle without the benefit of some inspection equipment such as a jack or pit. If these are available, use them to check things such as kingpin wear and so on.
Should there be no facilities to do this there are certain pointers which will help. A glance at the front tyres to see if they have worn unevenly will tell you if there is a steering defect. It could also mean the chassis is out of line and this can be verified by following the vehicle in a car and checking to see if it drives crabwise.
Chassis straightening is a very costly and time consuming business and an out of line chassis is almost certainly caused by either overloading or an accident — neither desirable features.
Do not be afraid to crawl underneath the vehicle either. Look for broken springs and signs of general wear in the chassis components, as well as fractures in the frame or cross-members. It is worthwhile using a torch for this as often cracks occur in the most inaccessible places.
Oil leaks can be a sign of a worn engine, gearbox or axle so try to spot where any are coming from. It could be an expensive operation to get them fixed and it is an MoT failure item.
Without test equipment an engine's condition can only be assessed by listening and inspect ing. Use the vehicle's gauges — oil pressure and air pressure — to get some idea of bearing wear and the state of the compressor. An oil gauge which is slow to move and registers a fairly low pressure, especially when hot, points to worn bearings, oil pump, or both. If the air build up is slow, it is almost certain the compressor is excessively worn.
Fuel injection pumps, even reconditioned ones, do not come cheap so make sure the one on the truck you are buying is in a healthy state.
External leaks are sure signs of problems and if the exhaust pushes out black smoke when under load, either the pump or injectors are worn.
Blue smoke on the other hand means the engine is consuming more oil than it should so there is wear in the piston rings and cylinder bores or possibly the valve guides.
A short road test is always a good idea but try to find a hilly route. Here you will see how the truck pulls up gradients and, if it is steep enough, you will be able to test the park brake's holding capability.
During the test apply the foot brake gently. Should the pedal ride up and down under your foot, there is probably at least one oval brake drum. Later on, on a clear stretch of road, apply the brakes hard to see if the vehicle pulls to one side. If it does there is some imbalance with the brakes caused by a slow actuator or grease or oil on the linings.
The steering too may be checked on the test. If the truck wanders from side to side and needs constant steering-wheel movements there is almost certainly wear in the steering gear.
Finally make sure the gears are in good order — no crunching of the synchromesh — and that there is no clutch judder.
After the test, look again for oil or water leaks — warming the engine up properly invariably discloses hidden problems.
While there are almost certainly plenty of reputable used vehicle dealers around, it is often a good idea to go to a major group which also sells new vehicles. People such as Godfrey Davis, Kennings and other well established garage groups are jealous of their reputation and are anxious to protect it. They will almost certainly offer some sort of guarantee — maybe even an extended one — and are likely to get you out of trouble quickly.
Lastly, there is one golden rule to remember — caveat emptor — let the buyer beware.