Peak power is paramount

23rd November 2006, Page 67

23rd November 2006

Page 67

Page 67, 23rd November 2006 — Peak power is paramount

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Faced by the shortage of desirable Euro-3 tractors, operators can't afford to be too picky — but they won't budge on power. Steve Banner reports.

0 perators desperate to obtain late-registered. low-mileage. Euro-3 tractor units are prepared to compromise over their requirements. according toTim Robinson,used sales manager at Hull MAN-ERE dealership Torridon Conunercial Vehicles. But he stresses that buyers will only compromise up to a point.

They'll take a tractor unit with a lower specification than they would ideally like— an LX,say,rather than an XXL in MAN parlance," he says. But they won't take an older one. and they won't take a drop in power.One way round this might be to offer lower-powered tractor units with chipped engines, but Robinson argues otherwise:-That's not something I'd recommend for a variety of reasons, including the strain that might be placed on the gearbox and back axle."

There has been talk in the industry of dealers cashing in if they have really desirable trucks in stock, but Robinson thinks this is unlikely:"You can ask CAP Retail, hut unless the truck is very special indeed it would be difficult to ask for more money." •