Leaving Manchester yesterday I noticed a Volvo 4x2 Tractor I sold many years ago, it was quite a specific spec to the operator, understandably as an owner driver he wanted the best spec he could get and we spent ages looking at 5th Wheel heights and positions, tyre specs and diff ratios etc, thinking back we probably spent more time specking the truck for one owner driver then I did on deals of 10 and 20 Tractors which were sold on the basis of std spec, price and delivery dates.
So my question would be has your employer ever asked your or other drivers opinion on what you need/prefer or does it just come down to the best deal the finance director can find?
I always thought the more companies actually liaised with drivers the more chance they would have a getting truck that suits there operation.
Thoughts?
Truckntrailerman
Most trucks seem to be spec’d by the finance company to meet the needs of the second-hand user ie sliding fifth-wheel and sleeper cab on a truck that might be coupled to a bog standard trailer and never nighted out by its first big fleet owner.
When they don’t do this, they can’t dispose of the things at contract end; who remembers the supermarket Scanias converted into horseboxes, or to run (not very well) on gas?
GasGas:
Most trucks seem to be spec’d by the finance company to meet the needs of the second-hand user ie sliding fifth-wheel and sleeper cab on a truck that might be coupled to a bog standard trailer and never nighted out by its first big fleet owner.
When they don’t do this, they can’t dispose of the things at contract end; who remembers the supermarket Scanias converted into horseboxes, or to run (not very well) on gas?
Cheers GasGas, yep spec certainly effects the residual value and therefore the contract hire cost if going down that route, its just the fact a customer would ask me for a quote for 5-10 tractors and then not want to give or know basic information as what weight they would be pulling, trailer height and pin position or even how many miles per annum they did!, but expected you to spec the ideal truck to their requirements.
My personal favourite was customers trying to delete electric windows from the spec to save money then spending £4,000 grand on a paint job, or asking for the best fuel economy only to fit top and bottom lightbars 
I know a firm that has taken just about everything it can off of a new fleet and just worked on price as opposed to actual suitability. They even took the drivers side electric/heated mirrors off and put on manual ones on instead. When I asked the driver why, he told me that because he could reach it his boss said they didn’t need the expense. I nearly died laughing but checked the switch in the cab and he wasn’t lying!!
3 times!
First one, boss (who ran a fleet of Scanias, all R113 360s)said your motor is up for renewal, you can either have a 143 Topline, or one of them new Volvo fh 12’s that have just come out, i was really wanting a FH, as they had better stereos, cruise control, more headroom etc, my dad (who worked at the same firm) talked me round to asking for a 143 (V8 son, you will never beat them!)
So, i ended up going with the Scania
Mate of mine with a few motors rung me up one day and said im getting another motor, what do you want? I hadnt even asked him for a job! Anyway a while later, circumstances changed, i rang him up and said a left ■■■■■■,(as i’d been driving for a Swedish firm for a few years) Topline or SSC, i dont mind, he is/was a Scania man, he said he’d allways fancied a V8, 2 months later i got this brand new 144 530
Id been working for a bloke with 3 motors for around a month doing groupage to Germany, one Saturday morning he said he was going to take on another driver, what motor did i want, i said as long as it was a left ■■■■■■ i wasnt too fussed, a V8 Topline or a Super Space Cab Daf would be good thou, he said ok, leave it with me, it would be around 2-3 yrs old, no probs for me.
I ended up with this, plus i got the crappy Overlander tilt replaced with a2yr old Schmitz euroliner.
The sideskirts and lightbar and painted mirrors were all sorted after
I’d sooner have an iveco with loads of extras a decent engine and some sideskirts etc than bottom of the range 420 topline any day.
