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There haven't been any seismic changes in the tractor market,
Page 57
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but with the recession biting, operators are looking more at leasinc. Dave Young reports.
IdT he first in... and the first out.More than anything else, that pithy epithet sums up the UK tractor narket when it comes to a recession. And while the 2007 registration figures or artics flattered to deceive, most nanufacturers were already worrying about heir forward order books last October. When it comes to divining trends in the ractor market, there's been little in the way of najor shifts.Three-axle tractors still out-sell heir two-axle counterparts, typically in the egion of 4:1. And as we closed our Buyers' :Wide for press ahead of the end-of-year Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders figures,Daf was leading the tractor market overall, followed by Volvo and Scania.And notwithstanding Mercedes-Benz's secondplace success in the 4x2 tractor sector (helped by strong Axor sales), those overall top three positions looked likely to remain unchanged.
If you're buying a three-axle artic for 44-tonne work, you're typically speccing it with 450-480hp, and with a big cab.Two-axle buyers are more likely to be satisfied with 400420hp. However, the appeal of 500hp+ 'bigbangers' has definitely waned given the price of diesel and the need for maximum fuel economy. Either way, many buyers are going straight to Euro-5 for a number of 'wins', including RPCs, good residuals (up to £1,000 more in some of the guides), and one eye on the future with more LEZs springing up.
With more new tractors now being sold with auto boxes, the guide books are also starting to show little or no difference in their used values for artics with autos and manuals —a sure sign the trade no longer sees the former as a second-hand handicap. As money gets tighter, many hauliers are looking to leasing as a way to get predictable monthly operating costs. Brian Weatherley