ric( 'We do not exploit foreign
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language competence in the way other nations do'
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ess than 20 years ago Britain was the largest manufacturer and exporter of commercial vehicles in Europe. Today it has become an offshore market where heavy road transport is run with mainly imported vehicles and which has virtually stopped exporting trucks.
SWAT statistics for truck and bus exports from Britain to Europe over the years 19751984 show that heavy trucks declined from 14,000 to 7,000 and that buses declined from nearly 600 to nothing.
Why should we export trucks and buses? Well, assuming no change in the domestic market share of each vehicle factory, the main results would be higher production in the factories, higher activity in their supplier factories, higher employment in the UK regions concerned, higher profitability for all, higher foreign exchange earnings for the country, and increased international prestige for the product — rebounding in higher sales in the home market due to an enhanced reputation.
Historically, the British culture has underestimated the value of foreign languages. Using the language of an export market makes life easier for foreign customers and dealers and is a vital tool in understanding the market and the local competition. We do not exploit foreign language competence in the way many other nations do.
There is also a difference of management approach between these countries and ourselves as an SMMT trade mission discovered. German andJapanese companies sent middle-management teams to study local marketing problems. Isuzu did this when introducing their trucks to New Zealand. The team was told that their gearbox was unknown. The customers wanted a Fuller box for the market because it was popular. The Japanese held a pow-wow in their hotel, hammered it out with base camp by phone, and emerged only hours later with a positive decision.
British companies sent out senior executives who would not get involved in everyday matters, or junior executives whose problem on return to the UK factory was convincing their bosses that what they said was true and necessary.
For five years I have tried to convince every remaining company in the UK heavy truck market to apply this hard won experience — none would listen or pay for the research.
The answer to all the industry's economic problems is to start a permanent commitment to exporting again. A revival plan needs four elements: a product range with existing production facilities; respect for the European market requirement of metricated field maintenance; factory staff who can speak the buyer's language; a coordinated marketing strategy What lam sounding off about is 20 years of failure of the British CV industry to sell it products in the European marketplace whic was opened up to us commercially in the seventies. We all know BLMC failed, but tha should have given manufacturers outside B an advantage. It is the directors of the remaining UK manufacturers and their mai UK suppliers that I have been trying to brin to the table at the SMMT. They carry the responsibility for the failures and thousand: of people have had their careers blighted because of it.
o If you want to sound off about a road transport issue write to features editor Patric Cunnane