Rampant discounting • Discounting to win fleet sales has become
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rampart, as leading manufacturers reduce stocks says managing director Dieter Merz, Renault Truck Industries.
Renault slashed prices on its Midliner by 45% on a one-fleet deal to see how far down the market would go — but still lost the sale on price, says Merz. He is battling to reverse a falling market share, blamed in part on the withdrawal of several distributors from the network.
The market for trucks from 3.5-38 tonnes gross is down by 25%, and is expected to finish the year at around 55,000 units, compared with almost 70,000 in 1989.
LI A fleet of 60 short-cabbed drawbar combinations from the massive French Norbert Dentressangle fleet have been sold to Vietnam.
They have Renault G-range cabs with top sleepers and tilt bodywork on the trucks and trailers. They will be used for hauling timber.
The Dentressangle rigids and tractor units were taken on three-year contracts with Renault, which guaranteed a buyback price in advance. They were ordered before the EC increased the lengths.
Dentressangle, which now operates 1,200 trucks, is taking 580 new heavy trucks in the first half of this year. Most are R340s, but there are also 40 Mercedes 1733s with manual transmissions.