As a general comment a low mileage truck might well have been grinding around city centres or short haul work and so have a more clapped out gearbox/clutch than a higher miles truck just cruising on m-ways. Constant acceleration or braking is more damaging than steady driving.
Mileage is a factor, but not the be-all of a vehicle`s condition.
Whatever you buy, get a thorough check of everything you can. Do you have in-house mechanic or use a local one? Get what they are used to, and happy to work on.
If you’re wanting something old, I used to pick up good cheap trucks at truck auctions, (but I used to take my mechanic mate with me to sort the decent stuff from the cack.)
I know times (and trucks) have changed since those days, but I got quite a few good bargains there.
I once bought a good ERF 290E ■■■■■■■ (which were the dog’s bits in those days) and a near identical one with a knackered chassis as a donor vehicle for spares, for less than I would have bought the good one only at retail.
Sold a lot of the spares I did not need.
You need to know what you are buying in those places as they can be in an auction for a good reason, on the other hand main dealers put a lot of part ex.s in there…or they did in the old days.
robroy:
If you’re wanting something old, I used to pick up good cheap trucks at truck auctions, (but I used to take my mechanic mate with me to sort the decent stuff from the cack.)I know times (and trucks) have changed since those days, but I got quite a few good bargains there.
I once bought a good ERF 290E ■■■■■■■ (which were the dog’s bits in those days) and a near identical one with a knackered chassis as a donor vehicle for spares, for less than I would have bought the good one only at retail.
Sold a lot of the spares I did not need.
You need to know what you are buying in those places as they can be in an auction for a good reason, on the other hand main dealers put a lot of part ex.s in there…or they did in the old days.
Understood what would be the auctions to go to? Am guessing at the minute most auctions are online?
Franglais:
As a general comment a low mileage truck might well have been grinding around city centres or short haul work and so have a more clapped out gearbox/clutch than a higher miles truck just cruising on m-ways. Constant acceleration or braking is more damaging than steady driving.
Mileage is a factor, but not the be-all of a vehicle`s condition.
Whatever you buy, get a thorough check of everything you can. Do you have in-house mechanic or use a local one? Get what they are used to, and happy to work on.
No we don’t have an in house mechanic, although that is certainly something we aspire to! We’ve not been running long, I started up last year when I lost my job from Covid. We are in Normandy France, so Brexit has been fun … NOT!! We deal in 3.5 trailers, horseboxes & small farm machinery so we aren’t hauliers but import from UK & deliver to clients in France, Belgium, Netherlands & Switzerland. As such our trucks do very low mileage compared to a haulier, hence wanting to keep with older trucks that won’t depreciate and it won’t matter if they sit the yard idle for a week or two at a time. Currently probably the maximum any one of them would do is around 4000 km/month and that much more likely to be the Rigids than the artic, which probably wouldn’t see more than 2500 km a month on average. Consequently, we’ll not put more than 30,000 km per year on the tractor unit which isn’t even 20,000 miles. That said when you turn the key it needs to start and I don’t want guys sitting on the side of the road waiting for recovery … hence looking for a cheap reliable option?
milodon:
Carryfast:
If you only want it for low weight work might as well go in with a silly offer like 3-4k.The shipping costs would have to be factored in some where if its exported and most non Euro export markets ain’t going to want a 4x2 with a 10.5 litre motor in it.
Ask them to put a new MOT on it then get a year’s work out if it and scrap it.While that’s the equivalent age value of a proper truck.
justtrucks.com.au/trucks-for … JTM5179891Shows how much you know, again
It’s the buyer who pays for shipping, and yes, they will be quite happy with a barebone 4x2 in many more places than whatever that is you’ve linked, because you can google.
How much to ship a truck that’s worth at best around 4k ?.The buyer is going to want that reflected in the price offered even if he wants the thing.
While I doubt if the roads of Africa etc are exactly full of 4x2 18t gross 10.5 litre units to pull doubles outfits across loose surfaced roads.
You did notice the difference in valuation of the two respective wagons at around equivalent age.Obviously helped by the 18 speed Fuller spec and a proper engine in it.
Diggerlot:
robroy:
If you’re wanting something old, I used to pick up good cheap trucks at truck auctions, (but I used to take my mechanic mate with me to sort the decent stuff from the cack.)I know times (and trucks) have changed since those days, but I got quite a few good bargains there.
I once bought a good ERF 290E ■■■■■■■ (which were the dog’s bits in those days) and a near identical one with a knackered chassis as a donor vehicle for spares, for less than I would have bought the good one only at retail.
Sold a lot of the spares I did not need.
You need to know what you are buying in those places as they can be in an auction for a good reason, on the other hand main dealers put a lot of part ex.s in there…or they did in the old days.Understood what would be the auctions to go to? Am guessing at the minute most auctions are online?
I cant help you there mate, I ain’t been to one for years, and maybe the ones I used to go to don’t exist anymore…and I wouldn’t know any on the Euro mainland anyway.
robroy:
Diggerlot:
robroy:
If you’re wanting something old, I used to pick up good cheap trucks at truck auctions, (but I used to take my mechanic mate with me to sort the decent stuff from the cack.)I know times (and trucks) have changed since those days, but I got quite a few good bargains there.
I once bought a good ERF 290E ■■■■■■■ (which were the dog’s bits in those days) and a near identical one with a knackered chassis as a donor vehicle for spares, for less than I would have bought the good one only at retail.
Sold a lot of the spares I did not need.
You need to know what you are buying in those places as they can be in an auction for a good reason, on the other hand main dealers put a lot of part ex.s in there…or they did in the old days.Understood what would be the auctions to go to? Am guessing at the minute most auctions are online?
I cant help you there mate, I ain’t been to one for years, and maybe the ones I used to go to don’t exist anymore…and I wouldn’t know any on the Euro mainland anyway.
OK thanks, we’ll be buying a right hand drive truck cos they are a lot cheaper than buying a LHD over here and we are in and out of UK every week anyway.
There’s aa auction place at Doncaster.
“Commercial Vehicle Auctions”, next auction is this Tuesday April the 6th.
Grumpy_old_trucker:
There’s aa auction place at Doncaster.
“Commercial Vehicle Auctions”, next auction is this Tuesday April the 6th.
… I was 1st RHA myself albeit a few years ago now!! 
Diggerlot:
Franglais:
As a general comment a low mileage truck might well have been grinding around city centres or short haul work and so have a more clapped out gearbox/clutch than a higher miles truck just cruising on m-ways. Constant acceleration or braking is more damaging than steady driving.
Mileage is a factor, but not the be-all of a vehicle`s condition.
Whatever you buy, get a thorough check of everything you can. Do you have in-house mechanic or use a local one? Get what they are used to, and happy to work on.No we don’t have an in house mechanic, although that is certainly something we aspire to! We’ve not been running long, I started up last year when I lost my job from Covid. We are in Normandy France, so Brexit has been fun … NOT!! We deal in 3.5 trailers, horseboxes & small farm machinery so we aren’t hauliers but import from UK & deliver to clients in France, Belgium, Netherlands & Switzerland. As such our trucks do very low mileage compared to a haulier, hence wanting to keep with older trucks that won’t depreciate and it won’t matter if they sit the yard idle for a week or two at a time. Currently probably the maximum any one of them would do is around 4000 km/month and that much more likely to be the Rigids than the artic, which probably wouldn’t see more than 2500 km a month on average. Consequently, we’ll not put more than 30,000 km per year on the tractor unit which isn’t even 20,000 miles. That said when you turn the key it needs to start and I don’t want guys sitting on the side of the road waiting for recovery … hence looking for a cheap reliable option?
20,000 miles per year? Why are you even bothering? Just pick up the phone to the cheapest subbie and have them do the work as and when required for the £1.20 per mile they’ll charge you.
DCPCFML:
20,000 miles per year? Why are you even bothering? Just pick up the phone to the cheapest subbie and have them do the work as and when required for the £1.20 per mile they’ll charge you.
This. At 20,000 miles a year it’s not worth the cost and grief of owning and running a lorry. It’s like car ownership, if you’re only doing a couple of thousand miles a year it’s cheaper to use a taxi for local and hire a car for the long journeys than to get a new one on PCP.
For the UK deliveries you could get a cheaper rate by doing it as a backload for UK hauliers.
Diggerlot:
Grumpy_old_trucker:
There’s aa auction place at Doncaster.
“Commercial Vehicle Auctions”, next auction is this Tuesday April the 6th.… I was 1st RHA myself albeit a few years ago now!!
Detmold and Topcliffe?
Conor:
DCPCFML:
20,000 miles per year? Why are you even bothering? Just pick up the phone to the cheapest subbie and have them do the work as and when required for the £1.20 per mile they’ll charge you.This. At 20,000 miles a year it’s not worth the cost and grief of owning and running a lorry. It’s like car ownership, if you’re only doing a couple of thousand miles a year it’s cheaper to use a taxi for local and hire a car for the long journeys than to get a new one on PCP.
For the UK deliveries you could get a cheaper rate by doing it as a backload for UK hauliers.
Cost wise I’d agree there wouldn’t be much in it and it would certainly be much less hassle …but it’s not just about the cost, it’s about the relationship with the clients. We sell directly to private clients rather than via agents or wholesalers, the kit needs to be delivered by our staff so that we can answer questions that they have and give them a walk through of how to use what they’ve bought. It’s that personal service and customer care that is vital to the business and we can’t just farm that out to a haulier plus we need bilingual drivers which isn’t so easy to find. The last time we had a machine shipped here from the UK (pre Brexit!!) it was cheaper to come to UK and buy a cheap rigid and drive it home, than pay the haulier and we had the truck to use afterwards.
Grumpy_old_trucker:
Diggerlot:
Grumpy_old_trucker:
There’s aa auction place at Doncaster.
“Commercial Vehicle Auctions”, next auction is this Tuesday April the 6th.… I was 1st RHA myself albeit a few years ago now!!
Detmold and Topcliffe?
… No Tidworth for me.
Diggerlot:
Grumpy_old_trucker:
Diggerlot:
Grumpy_old_trucker:
There’s aa auction place at Doncaster.
“Commercial Vehicle Auctions”, next auction is this Tuesday April the 6th.… I was 1st RHA myself albeit a few years ago now!!
Detmold and Topcliffe?
… No Tidworth for me.
After my time then I’m afraid.
You’ll have missed all the ■■■■■ in Ireland, Cyprus, Belize and Suffield.
Conor:
DCPCFML:
20,000 miles per year? Why are you even bothering? Just pick up the phone to the cheapest subbie and have them do the work as and when required for the £1.20 per mile they’ll charge you.This. At 20,000 miles a year it’s not worth the cost and grief of owning and running a lorry. It’s like car ownership, if you’re only doing a couple of thousand miles a year it’s cheaper to use a taxi for local and hire a car for the long journeys than to get a new one on PCP.
For the UK deliveries you could get a cheaper rate by doing it as a backload for UK hauliers.
Probably not. Next to no vehicles run into the UK empty, but many leave empty.
Daresay the OP has priced the job comparing own transport and hiring transport?
If collecting from half a dozen or more sites as he buys gear the average haulier would loose interest and hike prices up.
Just guesses though…I could be wrong…again
Franglais:
Conor:
DCPCFML:
20,000 miles per year? Why are you even bothering? Just pick up the phone to the cheapest subbie and have them do the work as and when required for the £1.20 per mile they’ll charge you.This. At 20,000 miles a year it’s not worth the cost and grief of owning and running a lorry. It’s like car ownership, if you’re only doing a couple of thousand miles a year it’s cheaper to use a taxi for local and hire a car for the long journeys than to get a new one on PCP.
For the UK deliveries you could get a cheaper rate by doing it as a backload for UK hauliers.
Probably not. Next to no vehicles run into the UK empty, but many leave empty.
Daresay the OP has priced the job comparing own transport and hiring transport?
If collecting from half a dozen or more sites as he buys gear the average haulier would loose interest and hike prices up.
Just guesses though…I could be wrong…again
Yes that’s our experience. Also, almost 90 % of our trade is moving stuff from UK to Europe, with Brexit lots of guys would rather run out to EU empty to avoid to customs ■■■■■■■■. An artic load for us is x4 horseboxes and we are only now figuring out how to get x4 on a single trailer. We’ve had to adapt the trailer to make it work, so again it’s tricky to get someone else to do it for us. Plus 80 - 90 % of the time x4 trailers means x4 for collections per load and hauliers just don’t want the hassle or if they do they charge accordingly.
… No Tidworth for me.
[/quote]
After my time then I’m afraid.
You’ll have missed all the [zb] in Ireland, Cyprus, Belize and Suffield.
[/quote]
… Yep I got Ireland and multiple sunshine holidays in Iraq & Afghanistan instead … lucky me !!
Horse box trailers? Google says about 2.9m high? Not for a normal Euroliner then. I can see why you have a low ride flat trailer.
I`ve PM.ed you.
Diggerlot:
… No Tidworth for me.
After my time then I’m afraid.
You’ll have missed all the [zb] in Ireland, Cyprus, Belize and Suffield.
[/quote]
… Yep I got Ireland and multiple sunshine holidays in Iraq & Afghanistan instead … lucky me !!
[/quote]
Respect.
Sandpit was after my time.