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Mercedes-Benz is the latest company to cut lead times
Page 12
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By David Harris MERCEDES-BENZ has slashed the time it takes to deliver its heaviest trucks by four months.
A year ago, the lead time for vehicles was 12 months but this has now been cut to seven or eight months in most cases, it says.
This means that anybody who is ordering an Actros or Axor can now expect delivery of their vehicles by the beginning of the second quarter of 2009.
For lighter commercial vehicles, delivery would be "soon".
Spokesman for Mercedes-Benz Ian Norwell reveals: "Broadly speaking, the lower the GVW, the shorter the lead times become, but it's been that way for some time now."
Norwell adds that the area where lead time has come down the most sharply is construction vehicles, and this is because -demand is slowing, rather than supply increasing".
Similarly, truck orders are slightly down on this time last year, -but only a little", he confirms.
Other firms to have cut lead times in 2008 include Iveco, which has a long-term plan to increase its UK heavy truck market share.
• See page 24 for an investigation into truck lead times.