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timism still high
Page 52
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• War, terrorist outrages, and the prospect of recession aren't denting the optimism of Britain's truck dealers. "They're having virtually no impact at all on sales," says Ron Holmes, managing director of Mercedes-Benz dealership S&B Commercials.
"We've had one or two customers cancel orders, and it's true that certain sectors of commerce–tourism, for example–are being affected, but the economy is so strong that I think we'll keep rolling forward. We're by no means in the position we were in at the time of the oil crisis in the early seventies, so I'm not pessimistic. "So far as the workshop side of things is concerned, we've been flat out for the past two years, and we've hardly had time to catch our breath," he continues.
"We had a bit of a hiccup after September and operators are still a bit hesitant about placing orders for vehicles, but we've had nobody cancel," says Bill Sangster, managing director of Iveco dealership Stormont Truck & Van. "People preach doom and gloom, but from the truck market viewpoint I don't think things are as bad as some people like to make out."
"Hauliers are being cautious, but they're telling us that they will certainly buy new vehicles next year if things don't get any worse," says the sales director of one major Scania dealership.
"Remember that interest rates are lower than they've been for goodness knows how many years, and that there is no inflation to speak of. "One thing that could have an impact on sales, however, is increased competition from European hauliers. They're taking a greater share of cross-Channel traffic, that's having an impact on British operators, and if they're not moving the goods, they won't be buying the vehicles."