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Demand outweighs supply for longer semi-trailers

22nd December 2011
Page 5
Page 5, 22nd December 2011 — Demand outweighs supply for longer semi-trailers
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By the CM news team

ONLY FOUR of the 184 applicants were unsuccessful in their bid to take part in next year’s trial of 1,811 longer semi-trailers (LSTs), but CM has learnt that the Department for Transport was seriously over-subscribed with applications to take part.

According to documents seen by CM, bids for the 2.05m-longer trailers by the 180 successful operators were over six times the available supply, while bids for the 1mlonger trailers were about three times oversubscribed.

The DfT was forced to impose a cap on the number of LSTs each operator could apply for, equivalent to 20% of their existing semitrailer leet.For small hauliers with fewer than ive trailers, the cap was set at 50%.

Despite the allocation being over-subscribed, SDC Trailers says it is conident of securing a high volume of the LST orders and says order levels have been busy for the past month.

“People want to get their LSTs out on the road,” says SDC MD Mark Cuskeran. “We’ve been ordering the special axles in advance so we will have our irst 15 LSTs rolling out in January with a number of the larger operators, with more to follow in February.

“We can still guarantee Q1 deliv

ery for any new orders placed.” Stobart Group, which was allocated 67 14.6m trailers and 23 15.65m trailers, says it is happy with its allocations.

Chief operating oficer William Stobart says: “They seem to be distributed fairly within the industry. We’ve got 10 LSTs built and ready to go. They’ll hit the road as soon as we’re granted the Vehicle Special Order.” Wincanton says although it had hoped for more than 68 licences, it is “pleased so many in the industry recognise the beneits”.

Some operators who were successful remain more pragmatic over their adoption of the variant trailers into their leet.

Meachers Global Logis tics has received the nod to run seven 14.65m and three 15.6m LSTs having put in for 10 of each a day before the deadline.

MD Stuart Terris, says: “We’ve done it to cover ourselves as we’re fairly certain some of our customers are going to say ‘we want LSTs’ once it gets out.”


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