Hi,
I am thinking of getting a car transporting firm up and running and have no hassle picking trailers,
As for tractor units, I know this comes down to personal preference alot but which would be the best truck for fuel economy and reliability.
At the moment I am thinking of a 06 due to the old taco graph and divided between the Daf Cf and The Renault Premium,
I was also looking at the fm’s and p420 Scania’s but find that the Fm’s are heavier on diesel and the P420 too expensive to buy.
All comments would be kindly appreciated
Thanks
David
How long is a piece of string ? It depends on what sort of mileage you will cover, how regular you use it etc, if you are looking for a truck to run everyday then the Fm or the Scanny as they will have worn their 8 years of hard graft much better, but you pay more up front, the daf and the premium (not sure if that has the Volvo running gear on 06 ) will cost much less but may be more expensive in repairs ongoing and cost more downtime, the most important thing is to take time and find the right truck, traceable service history is a must secondhand, and get it inspected at the relevant main dealer before you agree to part with your hard earned, the £130 to £160 you spend on the inspection will be a drop in the ocean compared to repair costs if you wing it and take a chance, I know it sounds like a load of ag, but it gives you the knowledge and the bargaining power, if the seller kicks up a fuss then walk away, remember " buy in haste repent at your leisure" never a truer word where trucks are concearned.
No flies on you r143.
Having bought second hand, bought new, & leased new, I can honestly say that you are better off going for as new/quality as you can afford.
The maintenance bills on older wagons are crippling & it’s the uncertainty of when those bills will come.
There’s not much between the Daf & the prem in the reliability stakes I’d say unless you get a lemon. The Daf probly edges it.
I personally think the cf handles like an aircraft carrier & the prem is as sharp as a whistle to drive, my only criticism is the midlife don’t steer unlike the cf.
Depending on the operation, you might be able to take advantage of buying any day cabs kicking about of whatever make, usually unsaleable elsewhere so could be a bargain, if you’re only planning the occasional night out then that flexibility might outweigh B&B costs.
For transporter work that extra space behind the cab, and the usually low roof line, are a huge bonus to flexibility, obviously depending on your chosen body type, if its a semi trailer (you won’t be allowed a semi with peak i believe as a new operator in transporters) then it doesn’t matter what unit you put in front, if you’re having a prime mover and drag configuration it will make more of difference.
Scania 420 definately edges it for fuel economy over the Volvo in the years you’re probably looking at, i found them both very reliable overall, but in 11 plus configuration (short 4 car prime mover, long 7 car drag) Scania more stable than the Volvo, which could be frightening as prone to the tail wagging the dog syndrome when loaded in certain configurations.