trailer world Issue One 2012

38 Issue One 2012 Interview time, the Middle Eastern market grew by more than 200 percent. The used trailer market reacts in a cyclical way to the new equipment market. “Now it appears that the weakness in the market does not lead to increased stocks of used equipment. Instead, it seems to me that the offer is shrinking. This is as a result of low production volumes following the credit crisis. This has led to there no longer being a logical connection between the new and used trailer markets”, says Coupar. The market has stabilised over the last 18 months, but now Coupar is observing a slowdown. “There’s no reason to panic or anything, but at the moment volumes are falling. There are a lot of factors causing un- certainty for 2012, so it’s difficult to make any forecasts. Is the euro going to survive? What is going to happen on the stock mar- kets? What about the oil price? The situa- tion in the major export markets also has an impact on resale values. I’m also expect- ing the Russian market to have a shortage of relatively new equipment on offer. At GE Equipment Services, we normally keep trailers for no longer than seven years but there are of course many factors that affect how long we keep them in the fleet. The type of trailer, mileage, geography and usage are all factors that influence our selling decisions.” According to Coupar, conservative parame- ters are used to set resale values. “We always keep on top of what the market is prepared to pay for a particular type of trailer. And every six months we check the prices and values on every market where we operate. So, for example, a refrigerated trailer costs about three times more than a curtainsid- er, and its depreciation is much lower. This is partly due to the fact that food transpor- tation is a sector that is relatively crisis- proof. The market for refrigerated trailers is much more stable and, it appears, much less cyclical”, says Coupar. This also applies to the export markets for these trailers. On paper, there are many factors that can influence the resale value of a used trailer. But according to David Coupar, the main ones are demand and the regional market. “The trailer manufacturer is also impor- tant, along with specific equipment, for example a Krone or Schmitz refrigerated trailer or a Thermo King refrigeration unit on BPW axles. BPW components are well- received across many regions and spare parts are available just about everywhere. This in turn gives us the access to more mar- kets to sell equipment that is reaching the end of its useful life. This is why our remar- keting activities at GE Equipment Services cover a wide geographical area and a vari- ety of sales channels.” For Coupar, it goes without saying that trail- ers made by the big manufacturers are the most popular, but there are also regional preferences. In Spain, there is as much demand for a Lecitrailer as for a trailer made by a well-known German manufac- turer. The British often go for Montracon, SDC or Gray & Adams. “The same is true of axles and other parts”, says Coupar. “In a strong market, it’s possible to earn more with a trailer with first-class equip- ment, while it’s easier to sell it in a weak market. And of course the BPW logo on the axle stub has a positive effect. BPW is David Coupar David Coupar is a veteran of the in- dustry with over 35 years‘ experience in road haulage. In the course of his career, he has worked in almost every corner of the globe. In 1994, after many years in the truck sector, he moved over to trailers. Five years later he took up his current position. „At that time, the market in Europe was very healthy, but Eastern Europe and Russia were suffering the effects of the rouble crisis.“ This gave Coupar plenty of op- portunity to get to know the used trailer market both inside and outside of Europe. Since coming to GE Equipment Services, sales volumes of trailers have more than doubled from around 3,000 p.a. to almost 7,000 at present. Coupar is British and lives in the Netherlands. Cyclical reaction Influences Photos:IngriddeGroot

trailer world Issue One 2012

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