I’ve got a friend who’s just won (been given accually) a contact for a local company, well local to us anyway…
The work Involves pulling their 25ft single axle box trailer between 2 of their factories ( 4 trips per week…I think)… One In Belgium the other In Surrey…
The outward bound load Is +/- 2 ton & the return load Is around 3 ton…
So the question Is what Tractor-unit to buy for this work ■■
No point In buying something with 500 horses, so he’s narrowed It down to these choices :
1, M.A.N, TGL XL cab 250hp.
2, Renault Premium Distribution Tractor-unit 300hp. Not sure If you can get this with a high roof.
3, Daf CF75 S/C 300hp.
4, Scania P cab Highline 310hp.
5, Volvo FM LXL Globetrotter 330hp.
The last 3 choices would have to be specced with a low-mega chassis…
Is there any other makes of truck that we’ve missed or should be considered ■■
Why not just buy a cf or premium with 400hp ish then atleast you’ll be able to sell it on in the future or use it to do other work if you lost the contact?
Why not just buy a cf or premium with 400hp ish then atleast you’ll be able to sell it on in the future or use it to do other work if you lost the contact?
I personally would buy a Volvo FM Globe. with a 370 to do the job (But It’s not my decision, It’s my mate’s)…Might be better than the 330 In the long run & as you say ‘better resale value’ & can also be available to do other work when required…
I don’t know what the previous contract holder drove to do the job,but I do know he had the contract for 15 year’s & Is only stopping due to retirement…
buy a unit that has been derated to 28ton gross . Two reasons for this ; You can pick up a premium unit that has been downrated fairly cheaply everbody wants 44 ton units and the road tax for the year is onehundred and seventy seven pounds ! Thats right 177. A two axle unit and the van would still give you a 15t payload. A friend of mine runs a 400hp volvo with a tandem axle box tr on a spec contract ( never has more than 10 ton on ) I nearly dropped when he told me it costs more than that to tax my car . Im not winding you up just check it out.
Personally I’d go for a standard power truck 440 - 480 bhp that could pull 44 tonnes or a LHD 4x2 that could do 40 tonne work. Things can change and you can either get other work or find it far easier to sell the vehicle.
Every time I’ve downplated a truck it’s only been a paperwork exercise, all our 3 trucks are downplated to reduce the VED and Norfolk is right about how mad the VED rates are, we have one taxed as a 2x3 at 31 tonnes and pay £165 per year.
muckles:
Personally I’d go for a standard power truck 440 - 480 bhp that could pull 44 tonnes or a LHD 4x2 that could do 40 tonne work. Things can change and you can either get other work or find it far easier to sell the vehicle.
Every time I’ve downplated a truck it’s only been a paperwork exercise, all our 3 trucks are downplated to reduce the VED and Norfolk is right about how mad the VED rates are, we have one taxed as a 2x3 at 31 tonnes and pay £165 per year.
muckles:
Personally I’d go for a standard power truck 440 - 480 bhp that could pull 44 tonnes or a LHD 4x2 that could do 40 tonne work. Things can change and you can either get other work or find it far easier to sell the vehicle.
Every time I’ve downplated a truck it’s only been a paperwork exercise, all our 3 trucks are downplated to reduce the VED and Norfolk is right about how mad the VED rates are, we have one taxed as a 2x3 at 31 tonnes and pay £165 per year.
I think his mates in Belgium
didn’t get that bit. but I did put LHD as an option.
To be honest I really want a few people to buy fully specced big power 4x2 RHD trucks so there are more on the market when my boss finally realises he has to replace one of our Volvo’s on our race team. Got my eye on Switchlogics FH16 750.
P.S. still reckon he’s better going for a standard motor in the long run.
muckles:
Personally I’d go for a standard power truck 440 - 480 bhp that could pull 44 tonnes or a LHD 4x2 that could do 40 tonne work. Things can change and you can either get other work or find it far easier to sell the vehicle.
Every time I’ve downplated a truck it’s only been a paperwork exercise, all our 3 trucks are downplated to reduce the VED and Norfolk is right about how mad the VED rates are, we have one taxed as a 2x3 at 31 tonnes and pay £165 per year.
I think his mates in Belgium
didn’t get that bit. but I did put LHD as an option.
To be honest I really want a few people to buy fully specced big power 4x2 RHD trucks so there are more on the market when my boss finally realises he has to replace one of our Volvo’s on our race team. Got my eye on Switchlogics FH16 750.
You might be out of luck, he seems rather fond of it
FarnboroughBoy11:
Surrey to Belgium 4 times a week??
I would go for the bluebird personally.
Northern france and Belgium really isnt that far away, 90mins on the boat and your there, its 25miles i think dover to calais, then its like 45mins from there to belgium if i remember rightly, havnt been over for a while though.
muckles:
Personally I’d go for a standard power truck 440 - 480 bhp that could pull 44 tonnes or a LHD 4x2 that could do 40 tonne work. Things can change and you can either get other work or find it far easier to sell the vehicle.
Every time I’ve downplated a truck it’s only been a paperwork exercise, all our 3 trucks are downplated to reduce the VED and Norfolk is right about how mad the VED rates are, we have one taxed as a 2x3 at 31 tonnes and pay £165 per year.
I think his mates in Belgium
didn’t get that bit. but I did put LHD as an option.
To be honest I really want a few people to buy fully specced big power 4x2 RHD trucks so there are more on the market when my boss finally realises he has to replace one of our Volvo’s on our race team. Got my eye on Switchlogics FH16 750.
You might be out of luck, he seems rather fond of it
Isn’t he just that, I’m just trying to work out if I’ll need to re-paint it or if the nail marks he leave as he’s dragged away from it will polish out.
FarnboroughBoy11:
Surrey to Belgium 4 times a week??
I would go for the bluebird personally.
Northern france and Belgium really isnt that far away, 90mins on the boat and your there, its 25miles i think dover to calais, then its like 45mins from there to belgium if i remember rightly, havnt been over for a while though.
Oh right didn’t realise it was that close. I wouldn’t know I’m just an island monkey
FarnboroughBoy11:
Surrey to Belgium 4 times a week??
I would go for the bluebird personally.
The company In Belgium Is only 1 hour from Calais. Folkstone/Dover to Guilford area (I think), I’m guessing 2 hour’s ■■
I don’t think It’s that bad…Tip & reload In Surrey back down to Dover/Folkstone Ship/Train across, drive 1 hour Tip & reload…Etc, etc…
Despite my name I am based in Guildford. It wouldn’t be for a company called Kelly’s would it?? They do storage but are in with a European company or something like that with their trailers marked up differently, a bit like UK hauliers pulling pallet network trailers.
This company has a 25ft box single axle trailer out of Slyfield ind. est. in Guildford… Just putting 2+2 together?
FarnboroughBoy11:
Surrey to Belgium 4 times a week??
I would go for the bluebird personally.
The company In Belgium Is only 1 hour from Calais. Folkstone/Dover to Guilford area (I think), I’m guessing 2 hour’s ■■
I don’t think It’s that bad…Tip & reload In Surrey back down to Dover/Folkstone Ship/Train across, drive 1 hour Tip & reload…Etc, etc…
Despite my name I am based in Guildford. It wouldn’t be for a company called Kelly’s would it?? They do storage but are in with a European company or something like that with their trailers marked up differently, a bit like UK hauliers pulling pallet network trailers.
This company has a 25ft box single axle trailer out of Slyfield ind. est. in Guildford… Just putting 2+2 together?
I don’t know what the companies name Is for the moment, I just know It’s a Belgian manufacturing company with a factory In the Surrey area. So transport Is classed as ‘In house’ with no third party transport taking place…
norfolk:
buy a unit that has been derated to 28ton gross . Two reasons for this ; You can pick up a premium unit that has been downrated fairly cheaply everbody wants 44 ton units and the road tax for the year is onehundred and seventy seven pounds ! Thats right 177. A two axle unit and the van would still give you a 15t payload. A friend of mine runs a 400hp volvo with a tandem axle box tr on a spec contract ( never has more than 10 ton on ) I nearly dropped when he told me it costs more than that to tax my car . Im not winding you up just check it out.
muckles:
Personally I’d go for a standard power truck 440 - 480 bhp that could pull 44 tonnes or a LHD 4x2 that could do 40 tonne work. Things can change and you can either get other work or find it far easier to sell the vehicle.
Every time I’ve downplated a truck it’s only been a paperwork exercise, all our 3 trucks are downplated to reduce the VED and Norfolk is right about how mad the VED rates are, we have one taxed as a 2x3 at 31 tonnes and pay £165 per year.
That’s cheap for road tax…Defo cheaper than here…
I wonder if he could register new unit at the clients address In England ■■ He’d probably need a British ‘O’ licence for this I guess ■■ The tractor would still be LHD…
The whole outfit (Tractor +trailer) could be down plated to 17 ton as the heaviest(spelling) load carried Is only 3 ton…
its a big risk buying and speccing a lorry to do this work as its quite unique job, if you paid out all that money then the job fell flat on its arse you’d have a big problem and i cant see you having a lengthy contract to start with or even in the near future with the way things are, people just dont want to commit for long periods at the moment. If its just a simple form filling exercise then down plating is a good way to save money providing you can put it up quick if you needed to do heavier work. Surely your friend has done all his costings and established whether theres a subtantial enough saving to risk having a small unit as oposed to a larger one that could do heavy work if needed.
Geoffo:
I don’t know what the companies name Is for the moment, I just know It’s a Belgian manufacturing company with a factory In the Surrey area. So transport Is classed as ‘In house’ with no third party transport taking place…
norfolk:
buy a unit that has been derated to 28ton gross . Two reasons for this ; You can pick up a premium unit that has been downrated fairly cheaply everbody wants 44 ton units and the road tax for the year is onehundred and seventy seven pounds ! Thats right 177. A two axle unit and the van would still give you a 15t payload. A friend of mine runs a 400hp volvo with a tandem axle box tr on a spec contract ( never has more than 10 ton on ) I nearly dropped when he told me it costs more than that to tax my car . Im not winding you up just check it out.
muckles:
Personally I’d go for a standard power truck 440 - 480 bhp that could pull 44 tonnes or a LHD 4x2 that could do 40 tonne work. Things can change and you can either get other work or find it far easier to sell the vehicle.
Every time I’ve downplated a truck it’s only been a paperwork exercise, all our 3 trucks are downplated to reduce the VED and Norfolk is right about how mad the VED rates are, we have one taxed as a 2x3 at 31 tonnes and pay £165 per year.
That’s cheap for road tax…Defo cheaper than here…
I wonder if he could register new unit at the clients address In England ■■ He’d probably need a British ‘O’ licence for this I guess ■■ The tractor would still be LHD…
The whole outfit (Tractor +trailer) could be down plated to 17 ton as the heaviest(spelling) load carried Is only 3 ton…
I’m pretty sure he’d need a full international O’licence, which means also having a CPC holder. I don’t know what other requirements a foreign business would need to operate trucks under a UK O’licence. Maybe just a UK operating centre.
How much is the equivilent to road tax in Belgium and does it also cover the cost of the vignette?
If the costs of road tax, vignettes, inspections etc work out cheaper it might be worth finding out. I bet you’ll confuse the hell out of vosa, they’re used to dealing with operators flagging out of the UK not the other way round.
Why not just sound out the guy who is hanging his keys up, clearly he will not be using what ever is on the job at the moment. Then you have a vehicle you know can do the job and built in holiday cover!?
Geoffo:
I don’t know what the companies name Is for the moment, I just know It’s a Belgian manufacturing company with a factory In the Surrey area. So transport Is classed as ‘In house’ with no third party transport taking place…
norfolk:
buy a unit that has been derated to 28ton gross . Two reasons for this ; You can pick up a premium unit that has been downrated fairly cheaply everbody wants 44 ton units and the road tax for the year is onehundred and seventy seven pounds ! Thats right 177. A two axle unit and the van would still give you a 15t payload. A friend of mine runs a 400hp volvo with a tandem axle box tr on a spec contract ( never has more than 10 ton on ) I nearly dropped when he told me it costs more than that to tax my car . Im not winding you up just check it out.
muckles:
Personally I’d go for a standard power truck 440 - 480 bhp that could pull 44 tonnes or a LHD 4x2 that could do 40 tonne work. Things can change and you can either get other work or find it far easier to sell the vehicle.
Every time I’ve downplated a truck it’s only been a paperwork exercise, all our 3 trucks are downplated to reduce the VED and Norfolk is right about how mad the VED rates are, we have one taxed as a 2x3 at 31 tonnes and pay £165 per year.
That’s cheap for road tax…Defo cheaper than here…
I wonder if he could register new unit at the clients address In England ■■ He’d probably need a British ‘O’ licence for this I guess ■■ The tractor would still be LHD…
The whole outfit (Tractor +trailer) could be down plated to 17 ton as the heaviest(spelling) load carried Is only 3 ton…
I’m pretty sure he’d need a full international O’licence, which means also having a CPC holder. I don’t know what other requirements a foreign business would need to operate trucks under a UK O’licence. Maybe just a UK operating centre.
How much is the equivilent to road tax in Belgium and does it also cover the cost of the vignette?
If the costs of road tax, vignettes, inspections etc work out cheaper it might be worth finding out. I bet you’ll confuse the hell out of vosa, they’re used to dealing with operators flagging out of the UK not the other way round.
Saaamon:
its a big risk buying and speccing a lorry to do this work as its quite unique job, if you paid out all that money then the job fell flat on its arse you’d have a big problem and i cant see you having a lengthy contract to start with or even in the near future with the way things are, people just dont want to commit for long periods at the moment. If its just a simple form filling exercise then down plating is a good way to save money providing you can put it up quick if you needed to do heavier work. Surely your friend has done all his costings and established whether theres a subtantial enough saving to risk having a small unit as oposed to a larger one that could do heavy work if needed.
mutley75:
Why not just sound out the guy who is hanging his keys up, clearly he will not be using what ever is on the job at the moment. Then you have a vehicle you know can do the job and built in holiday cover!?
I’ll get chance this weekend to speak to my friend about some of the issue’s raised here & I’ll get back to you when I know more…
Just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their contribution to this thread so far…
but I did put LHD as an option. 
