Editorial 15,000 miles of fact
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MERE HAS been no great stampede into the 38-tonne market. We know of one very arge trailer rental company which even now has not ordered one tri-axle trailer. This is lot suggesting that there will not eventually be some demand, but it will not be great.
Operators are showing understandable caution on the entire 38-tonne question. They lave, in the main, yet to decide on a number of issues.
Question marks appear against both the concept and the configuration to be .4mployed. A recent CM survey showed that operators place great reliance on experience — their own and others' — when they are contemplating vehicle purchases.
However, experience is a long-term business and it will be another 12 months Defore any credible experience will be available. This week we have endeavoured to -educe the experience gap. Our energy run has produced 15,000 miles of experience Jsing 15 units and both configurations.
The tachograph analysis for each unit gives a wealth of practical — as opposed to :heoretical — information. Operators must not onIy think of the most suitable )onfiguration; speed or fuel consumption must also be taken into account.
Competing manufacturers have in their )ossession the analysis for their vehicles, ihey can reduce the "learning gap" and assist )perators to make an early decision on all aspects of the 38-tonne issue.