Budget has yet to affect axle choice
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• Vehicle excise duty changes in the Budget, which give hauliers an incentive to stick with 4)(2 tractive units, have yet to make an impact on the used trade.
"There has been more interest expressed in 4x2 units, but I cannot say that we've experienced a massive surge in sales," says Don Mitchell, general manager of Cross Commercials, an independent dealer based at Leek, Staffs. "I think people are still assimilating the implications of these changes. No matter what the Budget may say, if operators are already going down a particular road, and have decided to run 6 x2s, then it is difficult for them to reverse policy overnight."
He does not believe that the change will kill demand for used 6x2s: "When we've acquired 4x25 at 38ohp or more, and with a 3.8m wheelbase, we've often added a mid-lift to make them more saleable, and we'll still be doing that.
"A 4x2 with a mid-lift added at a cost of, say,
£4,000 can work out cheaper than a standard 6x2, and is more appealing than a twin steer to many hauliers," he adds.
Peter Hassan, who runs independent dealership Euro Wise Truck, of Ayleshani, Kent, says: "The 4x2s are moving, but I wouldn't say the level of enquiries has picked up enormously."
Used truck specialist Robert Reynolds says that, despite the swing towards 6x2s, there has continued to be a useful market for 4x2s, regardless of the Budget. "Not everybody wants to run at 41 tonnes or even 38 tonnes," he reports. "We have plenty of customers who run at 28 tonnes with 4x2 tractors."