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Truck News - Commercial Motor
July 3, 2021
Lanarkshire-based GBT Group has scaled back its operation following its decision to sell off the trailer rental fleet and ‘retiring’ the haulage business.
More than 150 rental trailers belonging to GBT Group went under the hammer at a yard sale held by Commercial Vehicle Auctions (CVA) in Knutsford, Cheshire.
It leaves both Malcolm Gilmour and his son Robert, who are based at Lesmahagow, to concentrate on trailer sales and trailer manufacturing.
“We made the decision to sell the rental fleet back in April,” said Malcolm Gilmour. “This was the right time to do it.”
He said it’s no secret that there is a shortage of trailers in the marketplace. “Guys are buying trailers because they need trailers for their business and cannot get new trailers,” he says. “We’ve still got a hundred trailers at home that are for sale, and we are still building trailers.”
He also confirmed that the transport side of the business had been ‘retired’ last year. Two remaining gas trucks will stay with the company.
Jonathan Earp, CVA’s general manager and auctioneer, said the fleet of hire trailers were predominantly flat trailers. “We had plenty of interest onsite with more than 50 people and more than 200 online. Most buyers were from the UK and Republic of Ireland but there was plenty of interest from overseas as well.
“Trailer prices were very strong, and that is a reflection on the quality of stock on offer with most coming straight from work with good-length MoTs.”
He added: “The newer trailers were always going to do good money, it’s all down to supply and demand as there are ever growing lead times on new and limited second hand stock available.
“That said we would not have dared to predict the prices! The 2019 13.6m flats were selling for around the £22,000 mark, and even some of the 2015-built trailers were making way above £15,000.”
Malcolm Gilmour praised the CVA team for their hard work before, during and after the sale. He said: “Jonathan and the CVA team worked really hard, it was well organised and I’m very happy with the sale.”
