Hi all, I have recently found this forum and thought since I am in the process of acquiring a new truck it might be worth asking for some advice on here.
We are looking to change our current DAF CF75.310 4x2 rigid beavertail along with drag, for a similar outfit but this time around 400hp and with a sleeper cab as the current unit only has a day cab. We have had quotes off both Scania for a R400 Highline cab and DAF CF85.410 Space cab but neither seem keen to do any business as soon as we start mentioning trading in the used unit. Therefore I was wondering if anyone could point us in the direction of any good used truck dealers who might be interested in our rig and also what bodybuilders would you recommend for a new beavertail body and trailer. Any advice on choice of truck or any good new truck dealers in the south-east/midlands would also be interesting.
Regards, Pete
Try Paul May at PM Commercials. “www.pmcommercials.co.uk” He’s a true gentleman, we have bought many tippers off him and he bought 5 tippers off us back in may when we decided to down size. We phoned many dealers to see if they were interested in buying our trucks, but Paul gave us the best price.
joswaj:
Try Paul May at PM Commercials. “www.pmcommercials.co.uk” He’s a true gentleman, we have bought many tippers off him and he bought 5 tippers off us back in may when we decided to down size. We phoned many dealers to see if they were interested in buying our trucks, but Paul gave us the best price.
Totally agree, PM is your man to sell to, he could point you in the right direction body + chassis wise too… 
Or, try these…
Happy Hunting 
What exactly is it that you are going to be loading on your wagon?
There are many companies who’ll knock you up a beavertail body some good, some bad and probably some that are shocking.
Mac’s trucks churn out a few of their own but I know of a company running one near me and it’s not that great. I was speaking to a driver with a Hino 8 wheeler the other day, he’d got a Euroaxles body and reckoned it was flimsy. I’ve seen a few Sterling and Shawtrack bodies that look OK if you are not going to give it serious abuse.
Near the top of the tree for plant bodies is King, they seem fairly solid although the examples I’ve looked at seem compromised in one aspect or another.
My recommendation would be a body from Andover Trailers, I’ve spent the last 4 years with Andover bodied vehicles and they are bulletproof. No matter what you want to load they will not break and always seem to have lashing points in the right places and simple features that work the way you need them to, I’ve carried diggers, dumpers, forklifts, containers, dozers, piling rigs, general supplies, and even an aircraft fuselage on one.
They are going to weigh a little more than some of the others but in my opinion it’s worth the trade off for payload. I’m running a Scania 4 series 420 p cab 6x2 rigid and can carry 14.5t, the only way the body could be better would be fold flat ramps which Andover offer.
Andover also do a nice drawbar trailer on 17.5 inch wheels to sit nicely behind the rigid, it’s also possible to load the rigid without dropping the trailer. the ramps of the rigid drop onto the trailer making a long stepped ramp up and across the trailer.
8wheels:
Mac’s trucks churn out a few of their own but I know of a company running one near me and it’s not that great.
I know a lorry built by Mac’s ( stretched and built a flatbed on it ) that had a livestock body put on it , maybe they hadn’t done one before, but they didn’t build it strong enough to cope with the stress/twisting that happens and it needed to be strengthened within a couple of months !
Denis F:
8wheels:
Mac’s trucks churn out a few of their own but I know of a company running one near me and it’s not that great.
I know a lorry built by Mac’s ( stretched and built a flatbed on it ) that had a livestock body put on it , maybe they hadn’t done one before, but they didn’t build it strong enough to cope with the stress/twisting that happens and it needed to be strengthened within a couple of months !
Not another one, I`ll completely discount “MACS” from now on 
TBF, a lesson I learned a very long time ago, if you are having anything built / fabbed / ect., makesure the company is pretty local, or, en route to a regular tip, as any problem will be very expensive to rectify in down time alone, AND, if you have to throttle anybody, at least they are pretty local 
Stanley Mitchell:
Not another one, I`ll completely discount “MACS” from now on
for a normal flatbed they’re probably fine and their prices seem very competitive so I wouldn’t completely discount them
TBF, a lesson I learned a very long time ago, if you are having anything built / fabbed / ect., makesure the company is pretty local, or, en route to a regular tip, as any problem will be very expensive to rectify in down time alone, AND, if you have to throttle anybody, at least they are pretty local
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that’s good advice
I’m not up on prices but I’m guessing Andover wouldn’t be cheap. That said we looked into getting a pair of 8 wheelers recently and had Andover price up a fold flat body with winch and twist locks for containers. I can’t remember how much they were quoting but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Sadly it was more than the boss thought so I’m staying as is.
CRS Trucks have everything in stock http://www.crstrucks.co.uk/
Bodywork by Swadlincote Aluminium, Woodville http://www.tipperbodies.co.uk/ (they are superb and do lots for race teams)
and you can then just pick-up the complete finished item. You can even get fantastic sign-writing done (M-sign) next door to Swad Alloy.
I’m another Andover fan, as said earlier not the cheapest or lightest, but having used their stepframes they are up there with Nooteboom and Broshuis for strength, their relationship with Goldhofer has, in my view, helped immensley in improving their product.