Six of the top export destinations for used trucks from the UK

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Commercial Motor  /  February 23, 2017

1 Jordan

The Middle East has taken large volumes of second-hand British trucks for many years but war and the refugee crisis have had an impact on demand. Sales are still being made to Jordan but orders have slowed down noticeably. The Jordanians tend not accept anything that is more than five years old and they go by the chassis number rather than the date of first registration. While there is some interest in 8x4 chassis cabs, most of the demand is for tractor units, with a popular model being the Actros, either 4x2 or 6x2 with a big cab.

2 Kenya

Traditionally a major market for used Mercedes, in more recent times Kenyan hauliers have started to favour Renaults and MANs because they're comparatively cheap. The demand is for five- to six-year-old 6x2 tractor units but operators do not want big cabs. In Daf terms they are looking for Space Cabs rather than Super Space Cabs. Nor do they want huge amounts of power; 420hp is viewed as perfectly adequate. Customers no longer insist on manual boxes and are willing to accept automated transmissions instead; just as well given that UK-sourced units tend to be fitted with the latter these days. Age restrictions are imposed on imports by the government and if a truck is more than eight years old then it usually won't be allowed in.

3 Malaysia

This tends to be a Volvo/Scania market - both manufacturers have got their own operations out there. When it is busy three- to five-year-old fleet-specification FM tractor units are sought after. There’s been some interest in 8x4 rigids recently but in the main the demand is for either 4x2 or 6x2 units with sleeper cabs. Customers prefer power outputs of up to 440hp and if an AdBlue system is fitted, they want it taken off. One reason why tractor units are exported in such quantities to Malaysia and other markets is that they are easier and cheaper to ship than rigids. (It’s possible to ship two units for the price of a 26-tonner).

4 Myanmar

Formerly known as Burma this country is now opening up to Western investment after almost five decades of military dictatorship. The economy is improving and enquiries for UK used trucks have surged. Customers want tractor units and it's Volvo that's making the running. While Volvo buyers in the rest of Asia favour the FM, in Myanmar they want the FH, and with the Globetrotter XL cab. Buying patterns will probably change in future as they opt for trucks better suited to Myanmar's infrastructure. At present they favour power outputs of up to 500hp or so and trucks dating back to 2007/2008.

5 Sri Lanka

Still rebuilding itself after a calamitous civil war which ended seven years ago, Sri Lanka will accept trucks up to five years old. Customers want Daf, Renault and Volvo tractor units with power outputs of from 420hp to 450hp. They are happy to take 6x2s built to fleet specifications and so far as Dafs are concerned they will accept CFs and XFs but they like Space Cabs rather than Super Space Cabs.

6 Tanzania

Second-hand Scanias have always been in vogue in Tanzania but Dafs are becoming increasingly popular, in part because they are available at competitive prices. Daf is still number two to Scania but it's catching up. Demand is dominated by 6x2 tractor units at up to 420hp although there is some interest in multi-axle rigids. As in Kenya, there is little appetite for big sleeper cabs. As with many other markets, used trucks face an import duty. In Tanzania it is on a sliding scale; the older the vehicle, the more you pay.