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by Brian Weatherley • Frank Walsh's opinion of the Northern Ireland used truck market is uncompromising: "disastrous". According to the province's leading independent used CV dealer: "The rates are ridiculous. People over here still reckon they can get something for nothing. The prices for '90, '91, and '92-plate trucks are beyond belief—I've never seen the truck business where the profits have been so bad."
The shortage of good quality stock is hitting all dealers hard. "If I could get the product it would be reasonable, but for every one I buy I say no to six or seven," says Rod Hawkins, HGV sales manager for Newtownabbey-based main Mercedes-Benz truck dealer Agnew Commercials.
Secondhand Mercedes account for 60% of used vans and trucks sold in Northern Ireland so Agnews has a big market to defend. Higher mileage vehicles, especially vans, are more common, says Hawkins, while competition for vehicles sold within Mercedes' dealer network is also stiffer.
"We recently bid for a number of M-B (UK) vehicles," says Hawkins. "I was sure I'd get at least a half a dozen of them—in the event we only just got them by the skin of our teeth."
Hawkins welcomes the recent launch of M-B (U10's own central used truck operation (CM 28 April-4 May): "I don't see it as a threat. I'll be curious to see what prices they'll be charging to sell—frankly I can't see them doing any better than us. It's a matter of suck it and see."
Iveco Ford's recently revised TruckSure used-truck programme has been positively received by local dealer Dencourt Trucks. Group managing director John McShannon says: g "Anything that helps us to compete well in the used truck market has to be wel
come." While acknowledging tlu, Dencourt's experience of selling used EuroTechs is limited, McShannon has no doubts about its potential: "So far we've only had one to sell used and we did extremely well on it. They're not hard to retail; EuroTech won't go to the trade."
Dencourt plans to develop its Newtonabbey site. "One of the elements of that investment will be our used truck business using TruckSure," says McShannon.
Until recently IFT had two main dealers in the Belfast area; Dencourt and RK Trucks. MAN now has RK under its wing: the Carryduff outlet went live on 17 October. According to RK Trucks Centre boss Donal Rice, the company is targeting the construction and demolition market in Northern Ireland with new sales, although it will also deal in used trucks.
Despite a sales area equivalent to half of Yorkshire, ERF dealer Capper & Lamb Engineering is also having to work hard to find good stock. But according to managing director Jim Lamb: "It's going quite satisfactorily. We're getting more calls for used."
cm. will sell between 35 and 40 secondhand vehicles this year, although ERF's renowned durability, especially on 14-litre models, can have its drawbacks.
"The number of secondhand models for sale is low," he says. "They rattle on forever! But if we can get what the operator wants we'll sell it, especially multiwheelers."
Although C&L could source stock from England it often sells at a higher price than in the province, making it less attractive to buy. While Lamb knows the used market well he won't retail other makes: "Why sell Scanias to increase their parts sales?" he asks. "If I can sell an ERF locally I know I'm going to get the parts business."
To meet the local demand for rental and used trailers TIP has opened its first dedicated depot in Northern Ireland at Ballyclare. Area sales manager Alan McCue says the wholly owned subsidiary will target the 100 or so local fleets with 10 trucks or more, but he adds: "If we get operators with one or two we won't make a fuss about it."
McCue estimates there are 7,000 semi-trailers in the province with only 500 rented: "We'll be offering a one-stop shop with rental, leasing and sale and lease back. We'll also do used business: everything in the yard is for sale."