On Friday the 17th July, Commercial Vehicle Auctions (CVA) held the first ‘Ready To Go’ online truck auction in conjunction with MV Commercial. For more than a year, CVA’s Ross Dalton and Jonathan Earp have been in talks with MV Commercial about potential ways to bring trucks to the wholesale market in a way that would give buyers more confidence.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the industry has seen numerous factory closures, disruptions to supply chains, and delays to orders, as well as the suspension of all Ministry of Transport testing. This created a supply shortage for those wanting to purchase new (or newer) vehicles to put to work.
MV’s Steven Cairns and Tom O’Rourke took the view that they were in a unique position to bring a fantastic selection of premium-quality, late-year, low-mileage trucks to the marketplace, and it was clear that an auction was the logical route to achieve this. Unlike any other auction, however, MV quite literally put their name to every vehicle, and where the manufacturer’s warranty had expired, they covered it with a driveline warranty of their own. Vehicles were presented in the best possible light using CVA’s proven photography and much-admired, industry-unique video appraisal system.
There was a strong level of interest in the event from the moment marketing and advertising was launched, with a healthy percentage of respondents becoming registered bidders. Significantly, there was also strong interest form outside the UK, with bidders from as far afield as New Zealand and Australia.
The day began with light commercial trucks and trailers, both of which attracted some fierce competition, resulting in strong prices. Then it was on to the main event, with a wide range on offer from a selectin of 7.5-tonne box vans through to a 32-tonne cement mixer. The selection of very low-mileage hook-loaders and skip-loaders commanded both the most attention and the most intense competition. There was a similar outcome with the more specialist plant lorries and tipper grab trucks, with the construction and utilities sector still very active. The increased lead times were clearly playing a role here.
At the end of the day, both MV Commercial and CVA were delighted with the results of the auction. Plans are now afoot to look at holding an MV Commercial specialist trailer auction later in the year.