Scania has announce it’s launched an Approved Used Truck program, operating across its nationwide network of branches, which it says will take the risk out of the purchase of a pre-owned truck.
The company says that in order to qualify for Scania Approved status, the pre-owned Scania vehicles must be less than five years old and have covered less than 800,000 km. Company-trained technicians will undertake a stringent and probing 108-point check at a Scania workshop, which concludes with a thorough test drive.
Scania adds that trucks passing the inspection will be sold with a three-month Scania Driveline Protection Warranty as well as any of the remaining original factory warranty (where applicable).
It says that for an additional modest fee, its Scania Driveline Protection Warranty may be extended to 12 months from the date of purchase, so long as maintenance is undertaken in line with Scania recommendations.
Approved trucks fitted with the Scania C300 Communicator also gain 10 years of Scania vehicle and driver monitoring and reporting.
Scania is also making available a choice of maintenance, or repair and maintenance programs, tailored to the customer’s needs and the Approved vehicle’s condition.
The company says that these programs ensure the Approved trucks are looked after in the best possible way, using only factory-trained technicians equipped with the correct tools and diagnostic equipment, as well as fitting only genuine Scania parts and lubricants as specified for each individual vehicle.
The maintenance program keeps track of software updates for each vehicle and has a pro-active service scheduling feature to ensure no maintenance is overlooked.
Scania Fleet Management collects and delivers valuable information regarding the performance of the vehicle, presented in weekly email summaries, covering fuel consumption, mileage, driver performance and more. All information is secured under the strictest privacy regulations.
“The launch of the Scania Approved Used Truck Programme in Australia delivers our customers an increased level of confidence in their purchase and greater faith and peace-of-mind in the vehicle,” says Anna Marie Taylor, National Manager Used Truck Sales for Scania Australia.
“We believe the Scania Approved Used Truck Programme will increase our sales of used vehicles through our network. The inspection in the Scania workshop by Scania trained and experienced technicians will ensure that the vehicles that meet the Approved Program criteria are in excellent condition and will deliver reliable uptime for our customers.
“As a result of Scania’s growing market share in Australia, and the increasing uptake of Scania Repair and Maintenance contracts, we have seen a larger number of very high quality, good condition pre-owned Scania trucks return to us when our customers repurchase,” Ms Taylor says. “We know these trucks’ histories through their digital tyre-print, which gives customer’s far more insight into what they are buying. So, unlike in typical used truck buying situations, when purchasing a Scania Approved vehicle, customers are not buying blind or taking a risk.
“We’re also funnelling low-mileage, excellent condition trucks from our rental fleet, that have been serviced by Scania, into our Used Truck business, and these will qualify for the Approved Program as well,” Ms Taylor says.
“Thanks to the volume of new Scania deliveries in recent years, we can source a specific vehicle for a customer, if the specification they desire is not currently in stock.
“Scania has access to a huge amount of data generated by its trucks across Australia and across the world, so we understand how much working life is left in individual vehicles when they come to us. This is not necessarily only dictated by kilometres travelled or age, but is influenced by driver performance, payload and the type of topography the truck has traversed over its working life.
“All this data gives us a far clearer picture of the value of the pre-owned truck for the second owner, providing them with a vehicle that will deliver uptime with confidence.
“The Scania Approved Used Trucks concept has been readily accepted in markets such as the United Kingdom and throughout Europe.
“Customers seeking an above average pre-owned truck will benefit from selecting a vehicle that has qualified for the Scania tick of approval, with its accompanying Driveline Protection package,” Ms Taylor says.
Unique to Scania’s Approved Used Truck Program is the collaboration with Scania’s aftersales division, which does more than just inspect the truck when it is listed on the scania.com.au website.
“We are dedicated to ensuring our used truck customers enjoy a uniform level of service and support throughout their Scania ownership experience,” says Richard Bain, National Service Portfolio Manager. “This is the same level of service we provide to our new truck customers.
“We strongly believe that our Used Truck customers will enjoy greater uptime and efficiency from their vehicles if they continue to use the Scania network for service and repairs. This is why we have tailored a range of maintenance or repair and maintenance programmes for the Approved Used Truck Program.
“For a customer purchasing a truck from the Scania Approved range and acquiring a repair and maintenance contract, they have far less to worry about when putting this vehicle to work in their business. With one monthly payment all their maintenance costs are taken care of, and they can plan cashflow. This makes the R&M contract a very valuable business tool.
“R&M customers have predictability of expenditure and peace-of-mind that their services will be carried out on time, by the best trained technicians using genuine parts. All of these factors combine to reduce the potential for unplanned stops which not only inconveniences their business, but that of their customers’,” he says.
“When Approved trucks reach five years of age, we offer the Scania Prime Maintenance Agreement. This includes a 20 per cent discount on servicing and replacement parts and labour undertaken in our Scania-owned branches.
“Customers coming to Scania for a used truck want to get the best possible life out of the truck and we can devise a vehicle care plan to suit each individual situation. It’s an additional benefit for customers that they couldn’t get if purchasing outside of the Scania network,” Mr Bain says.
