DEALER NEWS ROUND-UP
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ON THE RHODES TO ERE'
Martin Rhodes is ERF's new director of vehicle asset management He joins from Renault VI, where he was general manager of used operations. Before that Rhodes worked for Mercedes and Renault dealerships; he has a background in the independent used truck trade. ERF has its own approved used trucks programme, ERF Encore, so it isn't saddled with %Ids full of unsold buy-backs, says Rhodes. "We've probably got the lowest number of used trucks 'in stock of any manufacturer, and that's a good basis from which to start," he concludes.
LPG HITS VAN RESIDUALS
Older vans that will run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) can struggle in the second-hand market, warns Alex Wright, group commercial vehicle manager at Manheim Auctions.
"They drop dramatically in value at auction compared with the equivalent petrol and diesel models if they're more than three years old, and they've covered more than 60,000 miles," he says. "There is still a general worry regarding the repair and maintenance of these vehicles. "LPG vans that are less than ore year old achieve premium prices, however."
FOOTAND MOUTH BOOSTS TIPPER SALES
The foot-and-mouth crisis has resulted in a massive demand for used tipper trailers to cart away carcasses for burial. "Sales of older trailers have gone through the roof," reports Andrew Smith of specialist tipper trailer dealers Newton Commercials of Harlington, Beds.
The major concern for the owners is what happens to these trailers once the foot-andmouth epidemic subsides and they want to transfer them to other work. Prospective customers might refuse to accept them for other food products, such as grain, no matter how thoroughly they have been cleaned. 'That's why we won't hire trailers to anybody on foot-andmouth work, although we will sell them," says Smith.
Away from foot-and-mouth, there is increased interest in 44-tonne applications, but problems are looming for some hauliers, Smith warns: "The trouble is that a trailer that was originally purchased to run at 38 tonnes may not be up to 44-tonne running and may not have a strong enough tipping ram. A kingpin to centre of rearmost axle length of eight metres and a triaxle bogie on air doesn't automatically qualify it to operate at the new weight.
"It has to have a neck strength of at least 12 and preferably 14 tonnes and must be able to deliver that weight through the kingpin," he explains. "The additional weight you can carry at 44 tonnes has to be at the front of the trailer—you're not allowed a single additional kilo over the rear axles—and there's a big problem with back axle overloads, especially with step frames. it's a particular difficulty with grain, because the cargo has a tendency to slide to the rear."
Police are taking rigorous action against 44-tonne tipper operators who overload axles, Smith points out, and he's alerting customers accordingly.