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Not all second-hand motors look like they have been put through the mill. Occasionally an immaculate flagship tractor pops up, such as this FH13 Globetrotter XL from Volvo Trucks.
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In the Car market, there are a handful of switched-on dealers and, no doubt, quite a few opportunisitc wheeler-dealers peddling nearly new stock. The benefits are clear. Buyers get an almost mint product minus the gratuitous depreciation from driving it out of the showroom. It also has at least 12 months' warranty and relatively low mileage, and should still be a looker.
In the used truck market, Dawson Rentals is starting to refresh its stock at 24 months, creating a nearly new market for the trade.
Its price against new varies according to demand; warranty could well be up, mileage won't be an issue and, barring a new product launch, the vehicle should retain its looks.
Manufacturers traditionally rely on threeyear deals that can be extended up towards five. They even bring the vehicles in and rent or lease them back out again before sticking a price tag on the window. A manufacturer-owned truck could be four years old before it is dropped on to the open market.
So could a 12- to 24-month-old truck market take off? Large rental companies and logistic players have strong buying power. They could easily turn around a relatively cheaply bought 12-month-old truck from a massvehicle deal, sell it as an individual product and get the going rate.
It's even feasible that they could run and then sell a truck with just 10% depreciation over a year, rather than lose up to 30% over two.
Normally, stock barely out of the traps means repossession, which is the case here. If a third party provided the finance, it will usually have an outlet, such as the Alliance & Leicester used truck site at Trafford Park. If the finance house doesn't have a facility like this, dealers and auctions will vie for vendor status.
Stock financed through the financial division of the manufacturer, as is the case with Volvo Truck & Bus, is remarketed through the used retail division.
Volvo Truck & Bus also remarkets its demonstration fleet, which can be anything from six to...