What Truck Locator does

Truck Locator operates as a UK commercial vehicle marketplace serving buyers and sellers of new and used rigid trucks, tractor units, vans, buses, and trailers. The legal entity is Sandhills East Limited (registered in Altrincham, Cheshire) with a business office at 101 Princess Street, Manchester; the company is a UK subsidiary of Sandhills Global, a Nebraska-headquartered diversified media and marketplace group founded in 1978. Truck Locator itself was founded in 1996 and runs a dual-channel distribution model: an online marketplace at TruckLocator.co.uk with a continuously updated searchable database (6,000+ tractor unit listings alone, 2,027 indexed dealers), paired with a weekly printed magazine distributed on UK newsstands and linked to online listings via Quick Find codes.

The platform's technology stack centres on a searchable listings database with mobile-responsive design, photo and video upload (up to 40 images per listing), a dealer-facing Sandhills Cloud portal for inventory and website (HTML or WordPress) hosting, a Want-to-Buy matching service that emails buyers when desired vehicles are listed, and a Value Insight Portal providing pricing analytics. Supporting modules include a Dealer Directory with geographic and manufacturer filtering, a mobile app, and a VIP Portal. Integrated third-party services include FR8Star Shipping (logistics quotes) and Approach Asset Finance (vehicle financing), turning the listing pages into transaction-ready surfaces.

The business model combines four revenue streams: per-listing transaction fees from sellers (with optional Featured Listing upgrades for online prominence), subscription-style dealer advertising programs that allow listing of full dealership inventory, weekly print magazine advertising sold to dealers and equipment sellers, and contract-free website hosting add-ons. Multi-year dealer contracts and print-ink inventory produce recurring revenue, while individual seller listings provide transactional volume. The buyer side is largely free, with a freemium Want-to-Buy feature. The customer base is distributed across individual owner-operators, small fleet sellers, and 2,027 commercial vehicle dealers, with no publicly disclosed anchor customer concentration.

Name

Truck Locator

Legal name

Sandhills East Limited

Website

https://trucklocator.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Truck Locator is a UK commercial vehicle marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of trucks, trailers, vans, and buses via TruckLocator.co.uk and a weekly print magazine, serving dealers, fleet operators, and owner-operators as a subsidiary of US-based Sandhills Global.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Listing Fees: Sellers pay to list vehicles on the platform. Photo listings in print magazine receive Featured Listing status online, appearing above general listings.
2. Dealer Advertising Programs: Dealer programs allow listing of entire dealer inventory on the platform in addition to featured listings. Fees likely based on inventory volume or subscription tiers.
3. Print Magazine Advertising: Weekly printed Truck Locator magazine sold on newsstands throughout UK with advertising space for trucks, trailers, and related equipment sellers.
4. Website Hosting Services: Contract-free website hosting with HTML and WordPress options offered to dealers as additional service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Truck Locator operates a dual-channel commercial vehicle marketplace combining the TruckLocator.co.uk online searchable database with a weekly printed magazine distributed across UK newsstands. The platform aggregates new and used rigid trucks, tractor units, vans, buses, trailers, and components from third-party dealers and individual sellers, offering listing tools, dealer inventory management, and Quick Find codes that bridge print and digital inventory.

Product overview

Truck Locator operates as a dual-channel commercial vehicle marketplace combining an online platform (TruckLocator.co.uk) with a weekly print magazine. The core platform offers a searchable database of new and used rigid trucks, tractor units, vans, buses, trailers, and parts, while the magazine provides offline access with Quick Find codes linking to online details. The ecosystem includes seller tools (Listing Input Tool, Dealer Program, Website Hosting), buyer tools (Want-to-Buy feature, Dealer Directory, Price Checker/VIP+), and integrated services (FR8Star Shipping, Approach Asset Finance Financing). Additional features include Dealer Portal and VIP Portal for account management, plus a mobile app for on-the-go access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TruckLocator.co.uk Online Marketplace Online marketplace offering a searchable database of new and used rigid trucks, tractor units, vans, buses, and trailers for sale, with listing management tools for sellers and search/filter capabilities for buyers.
• Truck Locator Weekly Magazine Weekly printed publication available on newsstands throughout the United Kingdom, featuring vehicle listings with Quick Find codes that link to online details.
• Dealer Advertising Program Advertising program allowing commercial vehicle dealers to list their complete inventory on TruckLocator.co.uk with featured listing options and nationwide print magazine exposure.
• Dealer Website Hosting Contract-free website hosting service with HTML and WordPress options offered to dealers as an add-on subscription service.
• Sandhills Cloud Dealer Portal Sandhills Cloud-based portal for dealers to manage their inventory, bulk listings, and hosted websites on the Truck Locator platform.
• Truck Locator Mobile App Dedicated mobile application for accessing Truck Locator listings on-the-go for commercial vehicle buyers searching inventory from mobile devices.
• Dealer Directory Searchable directory of 2,000+ truck and trailer dealers with location-based filtering by state, country, manufacturer, and vehicle category.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tens of thousands of buyers search TruckLocator.co.uk every day

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• FR8Star ShippingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShipping service integrated into Truck Locator platform, allowing buyers to request shipping quotes directly from listing pages. Provides logistics coordination for purchased vehicles.
• Approach Asset FinanceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFinancing partner integrated into Truck Locator platform, enabling buyers to apply for vehicle financing directly from listings. Supports purchase transactions on the marketplace.
• Sandhills Cloud (Dealer Portal)coreTechnology or IntegrationDealer portal powered by Sandhills Cloud providing website hosting, inventory management, and listing tools for dealers on TruckLocator.co.uk. HTML and WordPress hosting options available.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Commercial Truck Trader: US-focused commercial vehicle marketplace owned by Trader Interactive. Direct sibling-brand competitor in the Sandhills/Trader Interactive marketplace ecosystem, serving the same buyer-seller matching use case for trucks and trailers.
• TruckPaper: Sandhills Global sister-brand marketplace for trucks in North America. Operates on the same technology platform and serves the same use case (commercial vehicle listings), differentiated only by geography.
• Van Monster: UK-based commercial van marketplace with strong brand positioning in the van segment. Directly competes with Truck Locator's van listings and serves a similar fleet operator and small business buyer base.

Emerging players

• TractorHouse: Sandhills Global sibling marketplace for agricultural equipment. Operates on the same technology stack and shares dealer cross-listing benefits, adjacent to Truck Locator's commercial vehicle focus.
• Machinery Trader: Sandhills Global sibling marketplace for construction and heavy equipment. Shares the same dealer portal backend and cross-platform distribution benefits, though focused on construction equipment rather than road vehicles.

Broad incumbents

• Auto Trader: UK's largest automotive marketplace. While primarily focused on passenger vehicles, Auto Trader has expanded into commercial vehicles and vans, competing with Truck Locator for UK vehicle listing spend and buyer traffic.
• eBay Motors UK: Horizontal marketplace with significant commercial vehicle and van listings. Competes for the same buyers and sellers but lacks Truck Locator's vertical specialization and dealer network depth.
• Gumtree UK Motors: UK's largest classifieds platform with a commercial vehicles section. Provides broader reach but fragmented listings and lack of dealer-focused tools make it a weaker substitute for specialist buyers.

Regional players

• Plant & Equipment Sales: Australia-based heavy equipment and commercial vehicle marketplace. Comparable vertical marketplace model in a different geography, showing the broader pattern of Sandhills-style regional equipment marketplaces.

Others

• FR8Star: Integrated shipping service within the Truck Locator platform. Listed as a partner/enabler; represents the logistics layer adjacent to the marketplace rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/trucklocator
• Facebookfacebook.com/trucklocator
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/truck-sales

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Truck Locator