Pro Truck Auctions, a new name run by a familiar face, got off the ground this week with its first sale. Charlie Wright is the man behind the hammer, ably assisted by his father Chris.

MV Commercial has opened a one-stop-shop vehicle, parts and prep centre in Livingston to keep pace with its growing used vehicle business.

Looking for a new van? Dave Leggett, Just-Auto.com supremo tells us about this site, and we rather share his enthusiasm.

Blatant advertising I know, but I’ve never seen a deal on a Zil 131 before.

Armed with new £4m premises Britcom International is targeting the domestic market with its one-stop-shop engineering services. The move across Market Weighton to York Road has given scope to cater for more business.

For all the talk about Euro-4/5, selective catalytic reduction and exhaust gas recirculation, congestion charging, fuel duty and digital tachographs, its clear the truck industry is more concerned about the cost of implementing new technology than running it.
Sir Rod Eddington and Gordon Brown steered clear, although you could argue the former had little remit to include current/future technology, and the latter to do with reality but some vital issues have been overlooked.
The European Union is keen, and committed itself, to charging on emission outputs. Brown is yet to create an incentive for greener trucks, a la Reduced Pollution Certificate, so where do we go from here.

Two independent used truck dealers believe the industry will be harmed beyond repair unless manufacturers drop Euro-4/5 price hikes and the government introduces incentives for Euro-4.

North East Truck & Van already hold sway in Carlisle with Iveco, now it's doubled its presence by adding the MAN ERF UK franchise to its portfolio.
Independent CV dealership NETV has eight sites across the north of England, including its head office in Billingham, and dealerships in Blaydon, Hull, Immingham, Lincoln, Scunthorpe and York, with tie ups with Iveco and Fiat.
The Kingstown Industrial Estate is one of the few trading estates in the UK where all the players in truck manufacturing are within spitting distance of each other. NETV takes over from Borderman Trucks, which went into administration earlier this year.
Network development general man Michael Latham says the company received a enquiries from several interested parties and appointed NETV based on its extensive industry experience and reputation.
Being awarded the MAN ERF franchise, says NETV managing director Sandy McDonald, is the perfect complement to the range of services already offered in Carlisle. “It will enable us to further expand the business in a region with such a strong road transport heritage.”

Dent Wizard has developed mobile repair and spray outfits to cut cost and downtime on cosmetic work for commercial vehicles.
In an industry where operators rarely allocate time for commercial vehicles to be repaired, if it doesn’t hamper its road worthiness, it could be the answer to a more cost effective process saving money when vans and trucks get de-fleeted.

British operators' love affair with 4.5m and higher trailers is creating a surplus on the used market, while demand across mainland Europe for sub-4.2m stock is creating a sellers' market.

Operators from the former Eastern Bloc countries are snapping up used Schmitz Cargobull trailers forcing up premiums above what domestic operators would expect to pay for the traditional European spec trailers, says managing director Derek Wright of A1 Schmitz Cargobull’s UK used trailer centre.

In next weeks Commercial Motor [2 August 2007] used section we profile the Iveco franchise covering South Wales – Dragon Truck and Van.
The company originates from the 1930s but the Dragon name only came about in 1996, when chairman Steve Powell decided to concentrate on vehicle recovery with Dragon Rescue. Previously he’d spent more than 30 years running workshops, garages, service stations, and two car franchises, under the Powell name.
The move to Iveco in 2003 was too good an opportunity to miss and Dragon has improved turnover more than four-fold and matching Iveco’s national marketshare in its region.
With retirement looming Steve is preparing the way for the next generation to take Dragon Truck and Van to the next level, his daughter dealer principal Jaime Powell.

They say the best way to accumulate is to speculate. Imperial Commercials, led by customer demand in Somerset, will open its new tailor-made site at Frome over the next few weeks.
In the next issue of Commercial Motor [2 August 2007] regional director David Lewis explains just some of the ups and downs negotiating with strong-willed property developers and what opportunities are being created with a new state-of-the-art site.
Frome remains a satellite dealership of the main Bristol hub, but it will be the sole Fiat commercial vans franchise, as well as selling new and used Daf Trucks.

Renault’s Premium struggled in its early days as a Spartan product devoid of pleasure. Operators, tempted by cheap price tags and favourable buy-backs, snapped them up en masse at a time when driver retention was not the problem it is today.

Trouble is when you sell yourself short all the hard work you spend as a manufacturer trying to recover can be easily lost. Today more drivers get a chance to choose their weapons and will remember what the Premium was, rather than what it is today – writing it off with out giving it a chance.
So what is today’s Premium all about. We have tested the 6x2 Premium 450.24 AML Euro-5 with the Optidriver+ transmission. It drives well, changes smoothly and intelligently, likes to lug down the box, and handles comfortably. Most importantly its more economical than its Euro-3 equivalent.
The light coloured interior is easy on the eye but the cab layout needs a rethink if it is to offer something different or better than its contemporaries. Read CM’s 27 September 2007 issue to get the full lowdown.

Rumour has it you will get more money for your truck at auction than through a used dealer. With the strong demand for late-year, used truck dealers have been very proactive to get to hauliers and finance houses ahead of the auctions to ensure their prices are met, stock is secured and margins are maintained.
Passing on price hikes to the operator has not proved popular.
Two auction houses have confirmed this trend and have to work hard themselves to make sure they aren’t squeezed out of the used truck supply chain. If you are a haulier the message is 'shop around' it will pay off.
Many hauliers have even gone down the private sale route to make sure they get the full return…either way it’s a sellers market.
What you replace your fleet with is, of course, another question.

Marketplace headlines: Fuel price hike slows vehicle purchase, whole vehicle type approval and CV Show
In next weeks used vehicle section in Commercial Motor we assess the effect of the fuel price hike to operators.
As well as hitting them in the pocket for running costs it also forcing them to think twice before purchasing, reports Steve Banner.

Commercial Motor was there 12 months ago when ProTruck Auctions opened its doors for the first time. It was a step into the unknown for Charlie Wright, who had long been synonymous with Commercial Vehicle Auctions.

On 16th October 2007 at 10am PTA celebrates its first year of trading. After a cracking opening start, they turned over £1.4m on the opening day, Wright saw auction revenue drop towards Christmas. Since then it has developed gradually and its last sale turned over a record £1.7m selling 261 bits of kit.

The Clipper Group has bought Iveco and Fiat dealership Stormont Truck and Van. The deal by the Yorkshire-based specialist logistics services company adds the south and Midlands based dealership to Northern Commercials which it bought in December 2005.

Some of us just haven’t got a clue. Gary Megson, Bolton Wanderers boss, was looking for sympathy as the much maligned transfer window system was brought up. The BBC reported this response: “If a haulage company wanted a new lorry,” he moaned, “and someone said in September you cannot have one until January, it would not be allowed."
That’s right mate, you'd have to wait until the summer.

Gary Megson, yesterday, has to wait for a new lorry.