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The world is shrinking in many ways, and the used
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truck market is not immune. We look at two aspects of international trading.
Caribbean Islands have long been a destination for British-registered trucKs that are past their sell-by date. Dave Young caught up with one operator who imports his own. When trucks reach the end of their first or even second life here in the UK, those spared the indignity of being cannibalised for parts are frequently exported. But where do they go? The answer in one case is to tropical sunshine.
The Caribbean may not be the UK's biggest export market, but one buyer over there has some very interesting reasons for wanting British kit. Every couple of years Gregory Monplaisir, MD of a St Lucia-based haulage operation, comes to the UK in search of 'new' vehicles for his fleet. His most successful acquisition in recent years was a 1990 ERF bought for less than £2,000 in 1999 which soldiered on in its new home for nearly eight years giving reliable, profit-earning service.
Given that haulage on the island is not exactly overburdened with regulation, the two-axle ERF and its two-axle trailer are free to haul payloads of up to 37.5 tonnes,"So far the authorities haven't caught up with us," says Monplaisir."No-one has put a stipulation for maximum weight."
There are two basic types of Caribbean island: flat coral archipelagos and mountainous extinct volcanoes. St Lucia is one of the latter and the long climb up from the main harbour at Castries is not for the faint-hearted.
It's all about geography
Geography dominates Monplaisir's purchasing decisions. He needs a manoeuvrable cabover:a short,preferahly day-cab unit able to negotiate tight bends without having to shunt."Vve always buy from the UK; the steering is better on English trucks," hesays.However,Monplaisir prefers to source spares from the US, not only because it's much nearer, but also because the exchange rate is favourable so prices are lower. Hence the ERE with its well proven Cummins/ Fuller/Rockwell driveline and rot-proof fibreglass cab.
Over the years Mon plaisir has run Ivecos, Mercedes and Dak; given the island's basic technological resources, he likes his trucks to be as mechanically simple as possible. Life for these ageing wagons is tough.They have to cope with rough roads, high levels of heat and humidity, and work that is mostly done in low gear.
"You have to be good in St Lucia to run up and down these hillsat 47 tonnes you can't afford to miss a shift," says Monplaisir whose current trucks don't have exhaust brakes.
He own seven 'tractor trailers' terminology here is firmly American-based -with a fleet of 35 trailers which are sourced from the UK and US, Containers are generally filled and emptied by hand so the trailers that carry them are routinely left at customers' premises.
Because St Lucia has an international airport, economic development and inflow of money has been more rapid than on other Caribbean islands.A relaxed style of if not today maybe tomorrow' transport business has had to adapt and Mon plaisir strives to provide European levels of service.
When his trucks are finally exhausted from hauling 10,20, and 40ft containers they are sold locally; most are converted into tippers. Garages on the islands make an annual assessment of roadworthinessmainly a visual inspection hutit's his insurers Monplaisir has to convince rather than the authorities.
Thanks to the internet he has already researched the second-hand market before his next trip to the UK and hopes to pick up two units for about f8,000 apiece from Britcorn International in Yorkshire, a supplier he's used before which has close links to ERE Truck import duty of 74010 As well as the purchase price Monplaisir has to contend with fluctuating exchange rates, shipping costs and crippling import duty.This is currently 34% on tractor units and 74% on rigids, levied on the purchase price. He hopes to squeeze two units onto a 40ft flat rack, which will cost him about f,L000.
He's definitely not looking forward to a future of badge-engineered MANs in ERF clothing with automated gearshifts and ECUs Monplaisir, who relies on staff wielding spanners and welding torches to keep his lorries rolling, remarks:-St Lucia is too small an island to have the technology available to fix it.I don't know if those transmissions will hold up.
Neither is he enthusiastic about the trend to air bags instead of springs: ironically it's cheaper for him to buy UK-made replacement air bags in the US rather than here.
Fuel consumption is less of a concern. "Around 6-7mpg..I'm not even sure," says Monplaisir.There's little he can do to improve it.
If he can get two decent ERFs on this visit he plans to order two more.There's still a healthy demand for the last of the truly British trucks, even if it is from across the Atlantic. •