Get ready for less
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Road haulage is on the brink of its first overall downturn since the 1970s, warns a new report by CM's parent company Reed Business Publishing.
Trends and Forecasts predicts that the amount of freight moved by road will fall by 0.5q to 129bn tonne/km (from 130br in 1989). This follows a rise of 15.2% in 1988 and 3.8% in 1989. Between 1980 and 1988 road freight rose by an average of over 4% a year.
But the report predicts that haulage will recover in 1991 and 1992 in the run-up to the Single European Market.
Hauliers specialising in the transport of food and manufactured goods can expect annual growth of around 2% up to 1992, but bulk operators moving building materials and chemicals are likely to see slower growth.
The slowdown in the haulage market is likely to be reflected in truck sales, says the report. It forecasts a 22% drop in registrations this year to 54,000 vehicles, before rising again next year by 11.1% (to 60,000 vehicles) as companies benefit from higher productivity and greater utilisation of staff, releasing funds for investment.
International operators may fare best over the next few years as the rest of Europe experiences stronger growth than Britain's expected 2.5% a year, and Britisn manufacturers export more to overcome slack domestic demand.