Trailer choices

There some good deals on ex- green Eddie trailers, 5 year old, Schmitz maintained.

I recently had occasion to carry out a PMI on a rental trailer which had only just had its MOT. To say it was not in the best of condition even for an early 2000’s trailer would be an understatement. A lot of work had been carried out - and done well, but so much had been left that it made me wonder if the previous hirer had an inkling of what he had at risk against his O licence before it went for MOT.

Unless I had a brand new trailer on long term hire I would be steering well clear of trailer rental.

image.jpegfull refurb every time for me ,although I’ve been called ■■■■ before :open_mouth:

Punchy Dan:
0full refurb every time for me ,although I’ve been called ■■■■ before :open_mouth:

Looks like a good job there ■■■■!!

Nice job danl 3 pumps brake pedal cam bar bushes knackered

phop:
Nice job danl 3 pumps brake pedal cam bar bushes knackered

I remember fitting those full tubes and doing away with the bush at each end ,can’t think what the proper name was now ?

Rent until you are absolutely convinced you have the right customer and work, then, and only then, buy either new or quite new…

Or you are going to end up with a yard full of redundant kit rusting away from each “project” that has let you down…

Buy an ex stobart trailer 5 year old and all contract maintained from new.Just price new curtains but as said before see what work you have for it.

Stanley Mitchell:
Rent until you are absolutely convinced you have the right customer and work, then, and only then, buy either new or quite new…

Or you are going to end up with a yard full of redundant kit rusting away from each “project” that has let you down…

That’s a polite saying .

Ive recently had the misfortune to be working on trailers again after the best part of 11 years on trucks only and I reckon once they hit 5/7 years old they are heading downhill fast, at 10 years old they need serious money spent on them and if you have german axles serious money is what you will need for the spare parts!

I’d never buy a new one there’s always loads of curtainsiders around if you’re selective that need no work doing and go for £3k. Plenty with plain curtains usually too.

Montracon/SDC tend to be what I’d go for. We can do any work on them but even if you had to pay somewhere you’d struggle to spend the difference in price to new.

Trailers are a different kettle of fish to trucks and don’t generate anything like the repair bills. As mentioned you do need an axle make that’s sensible on parts. ROR tends to be reasonable price wise.

Punchy Dan:

phop:
Nice job danl 3 pumps brake pedal cam bar bushes knackered

I remember fitting those full tubes and doing away with the bush at each end ,can’t think what the proper name was now ?

I believe they were called Cardev Cam Covers or something similar if memory serves me right.

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coiler:

Punchy Dan:

phop:
Nice job danl 3 pumps brake pedal cam bar bushes knackered

I remember fitting those full tubes and doing away with the bush at each end ,can’t think what the proper name was now ?

I believe they were called Cardev Cam Covers or something similar if memory serves me right.

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Yes something like that :smiley:

I was down one of the local trailer hire companies yesterday. They have a Dennison which is ideal for two of my three options for main contract. Its brand new. 4.25m tall and has a tuck under tail lift, for £130 a week, I just pay for punctures, all the maintenance is carried out in my yard.

The icing on the cake is that they may even buy my trailer off me. Despite its issues, (Which are now just tatty pelmets, bent side rave and that bloody floor, plus the damaged curtain ratchet,) its in better condition than half their fleet so we could be looking good. Or they will hire a trailer to me while they do a full recon and fit a tail lift on mine as for two of the three options, mine is fine but for the lack of a tail lift. That then gives me the flexibility to adapt to changing workloads until it all settles down again.

Stanley Mitchell:
Or you are going to end up with a yard full of redundant kit rusting away from each “project” that has let you down…

:laughing: :laughing: Honestly i.m not laughing at your recent misfortune, god knows we,ve all been there at some point , but Stanleys choice of phrase has tickled me :laughing: :wink:

chaversdad:

Stanley Mitchell:
Or you are going to end up with a yard full of redundant kit rusting away from each “project” that has let you down…

:laughing: :laughing: Honestly i.m not laughing at your recent misfortune, god knows we,ve all been there at some point , but Stanleys choice of phrase has tickled me :laughing: :wink:

Tickled me too. I just wonder what the hell I have to do to get a steady contract in place and not balls it up!

It will come eventually mate, most OD,s i know have gone through 3 or 4 different companys before settling on one long term

chaversdad:
It will come eventually mate, most OD,s i know have gone through 3 or 4 different companys before settling on one long term

3 or 4 ?..it will be a bit more than that Nick…you can never trust any customer 100%, it only takes a change of “manager” and you are out…boom, gone :open_mouth:

Takeover`s loom large as well, so it makes sense to ALWAYS be on the look out for your next “victim”, so you are able to move pretty swiftly …

Why place your eggs in one basket ? Mine are far and wide .

Punchy Dan:
Why place your eggs in one basket ? Mine are far and wide .

Running one truck suits me and to an extent i am like an employed driver , planner ringing me up on an afternoon and telling me what im doing tomorow, that said my rate sheet only consists of places im willing to go and i know is profitable, its all one way running so back empty everyday (unless its top scotch then i.ll load timber back, sat at Fort William as i type waiting to load in the morning)

Horses for courses, i have no desire to operate more than one truck so working for one company suits me ( i.ve been with them for 16yrs so cant be too bad)