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There's no better time to assess Britain's trailer manufacturing base
Page 61
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than after the four large annual trade exhibitions: the CV Show, the FPS tanker event, SED Rockingham and Tip-Ex at Harrogate.
Of the 81 companies vying for a share of the market, there's a hard core of 45 well established British manufacturers.
Most non-UK suppliers are still from within the EU but others come from Canada, South Africa and Turkey, and it won't be long before Chinese trailer giant CIMC gets its European act into gear.
Already a UK associate, Clayden Engineering is demonstrating two China-built sliding skeletals and CIMC's Burg/LAG/Hobur subsidiary is rumoured to be stirring too.
Of the EU's 'big three trailer builders, KOgei concentrates on Central and Eastern Europe, only selling to UK fleets via the internet, but Krone has an active UK sales and service network.
In contrast Schmitz has almost gone native at Harelaw where, with a 350-plus workforce, it builds a claimed 3,000 reefers, vans and curtainsiders a year.
It's true that most importers are having to bite the bullet over exchange difficulties and ongoing fixed-price deals, yet there's little advantage for our manufacturers in being outside the Euro Zone as they have to buy components and materials in euros anyway.
With costs escalating and major components in short supply, selling new trailers remains an uphill task for everyone — but one way to attract buyers is through added value, whether it's by using more durable and lighter materials, offering advanced fuel-saving aerodynamics, fault diagnostic systems for double-decked reefers or extending warranties.
Britain's trailer builders are certainly feeling the pinch, but despite a perceived governmental apathy towards the trailer and bodybuilding industry, it still remains a lively, innovative group that somehow manages to weather each and every storm.
Long may it continue so.