Elite Refuse used truck dealer focus

Based just outside Retford, Elite Refuse supplies refurbished waste and recycling vehicles, as well as providing a supply of spare parts, servicing and MoT prep. The firm operates a small hire fleet and provides vehicles for the UK and export markets.  As well as in-house experts, it also has a network of technicians to help keep fleets on the move. We catch up with MD Maui Smelt to find out how the used truck business is going in the waste and recycling sector.


CM: How’s business?

MS: It’s going really well. We’ve built up our hire fleet and we are constantly adding new vehicles. We have a regular turnover of vehicles that we refurb ready to be repurposed for new customers. The team here is dedicated and professional and provides an outstanding service. It’s fair to say that in the industry we are known for being fair, professional, dependable and honest, and those values ring true throughout our whole business. Providing the best possible customer service is key for us, which I believe sets us apart. We are working well with a number of local authorities to provide hire vehicles, both in the long and short term. Many of those authorities utilise our servicing and maintenance facilities when their own workshops are particularly under pressure, and we’re able to offer a great service and take the pressure off their own organisations.


CM: What’s been selling well recently and why?

MS: Having our own professional workshops and spares stock works really well for our customers. They can use our services for pre-MoT checks, LOLER, etc, and know they are getting a professional service. We refurb a number of vehicles every year and carry a parts stock for people to draw from. Our hire fleet is pretty much at 100% utilisation, which we’re really proud of.


CM: Why are customers coming to Elite Refuse?

MS: What sets us apart is our ability to support customers by providing new and refurbished vehicles, parts, service and hire. Our customers know they get great value for money, without compromising on the levels of service we supply. There is a great deal of trust between Elite and its customers and we work hard to maintain that.

CM: How do you think the used truck market will change in the next five years?

Vehicle electrification is already being introduced at many local authorities across the country. The infrastructure will need to keep up with these changes and that’s a challenge for many. I believe more customers will be changing to hire, especially in the interim between changing from traditional vehicles to alternative fuels. As a hire company, we will also need to be at the forefront of technology to be able to support these vehicles going forward.

CM: What’s keeping you awake at night?

Truck breakdowns! I find myself waking up thinking of solutions.

What Elite Refuse's customers say

Bassetlaw Council: "We had a bit of a rough time at the end of 2021 and beginning of 2022 when we had few staff, and our workshop was overloaded. We picked the phone up and Maui said, “yes, no problem, bring it over to ours and we’ll help out”. He prepared and presented the vehicle for us, and it was a straight pass for its MoT. I’d recommend Elite for its service, which is often better than the manufacturer’s service. You make a call to Maui and the reply is “we’ll be there in the morning, if not sooner”."

East Lindsay District Council: "Just around Christmas last year, we had a vehicle come off the road, down an embankment. We initially thought that the window was broken and a few panels inside, but it ended up that the whole cab was twisted and out of shape. We phoned Maui with a list of parts and within a couple of days that was all delivered to our workshop and ready to be painted and then bolted on. For a workshop or fleet manager working to a schedule, with 20 vehicles a day and just two spares, it’s a dream. I rely on getting the parts to get vehicles on the road, and people like Maui are a godsend."