Thanks to the addition of the new X-Class ute to the product portfolio, Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Trucks dealership Trucks & Trailers Ltd now offers a complete range of light and heavy commercial vehicles from a gross vehicle mass of two tonnes through to 250 tonnes.
When the X-Class was first confirmed for sale there was some internal debate amongst the team at Trucks & Trailers as to whether the prospective buyers would be completely different to those of vans and trucks – it turns out they are not, dealer principal Mark Wright says.
“Many of our customers for heavy trucks also buy vans and utes, but all of our customers are buying the vehicles for commercial application, so we focus on the needs of the customer rather than just upon how we best sell the product to them,” he says.
“Building and maintaining relationships is very important, making a phone call every three years isn’t going to cut it, so we strive to be in constant communication with our commercial customers.
“All of our customers have wants and needs that differ hugely and this is where we have do have in-house specialists in utes and vans to cater for the light commercial buyers and truck specialists for the heavy commercial buyers who often have very specific requirements for their vehicles.
“We have a phenomenal new product line up with van, ute and truck, which share a lot of design DNA particularly the safety features, electrics, hydraulics and mechanics.
The Vito Crew Cab drives just like a car, and in this health and safety conscious world we are supplying vehicles with some of the leading safety features available in the commercial market.
“We are not a car dealership per se, our point of difference is having a commercial focus by taking a vehicle and making it fit for our customers purpose, by offering turnkey solutions where required, as well as a breakdown service, and ensuring minimum downtime and maximum uptime where possible.
“That’s quite a different proposition to other retail ute sellers,” Wright says.
Trucks & Trailers Limited is one of four Elite Support certified Daimler Truck & Bus dealerships in Australasia, and the first in New Zealand to achieve this status.
Elite Support is a Daimler Truck & Bus initiative which involves meeting around 130 criteria that result in an outstanding standard of product and service delivery.
Elite Support ensures this standard is continuously met through constant feedback and evaluation of opportunities for improvement and provides the tools to make changes and improve.
“In Auckland, we have a workshop with seven technicians purely dedicated to vans and utes, and we are also setting up a dedicated service facility for these light commercial vehicles in our Palmerston North branch,” Wright says.
“The customers’ expectations on us as a service provider is the same regardless of the type of vehicle they have purchased for their business.
There are limitations, especially for the heavy trucks which often have specialist functions, but we try to minimise vehicle off road (VOR) situations by stocking as many parts and consumables as we can.
“We can keep ute and van customers moving with a loaner vehicle, but it’s not so easy with a heavy truck, so we try to minimise downtime for these vehicles as best we can.”
Wright says while the X-Class has had a soft start in the busy ute market, the customers who have driven the vehicle are very positive towards it.
“We are the new kid on the block with a premium product offer, but it’s starting to gain more momentum as levels of inquiry grow.
“The new V6 X-class is a great product, there’s a certain level of expectation which is justified, and customers who have already taken delivery are rapt with it,” Wright says.
