Ryder acquires new vehicles for rental fleet

Ryder have acquired 100 new trucks, after investing £4 million in expanding their stock available for rental. These include a number of vehicles from renowned truck trader DAF.

The new acquisitions include 7.5 ton boxvans, 18 ton boxvans, 44-ton tractor unit lorries and curtainsiders. Ryder's commercial vehicles sales director, Nigel Martin, indicated that many firms are opting for renting vehicles as opposed to purchasing one of the DAF trucks for sale, primarily due to the impact of the economic climate upon the haulage industry, saying, The trend for operators renting vehicles for six to 12 months is growing at a phenomenal rate, with many extending contracts for much longer.

Ryder's fleet now stands at 2200 vehicles, following this purchase and the £18 million replacement programme that they undertook in the spring. The importance of these refresher programmes was underlined by David Hunt, the vice-president and MD of fleet management solutions for Ryder Europe, who said, We are seeing a significant uptake in demand for premium quality Euro-5 vehicles, and this additional investment will ensure that Ryder is in a position to fulfil this increased demand.

DAF CF85 wins Fleet Truck of the Year for the third time

The Motor Transport Awards have awarded the Fleet Truck of the Year to one of the DAF trucks for sale, the DAF CF85, for the third year in a row, and it is the tenth time overall that one of the CF series has won the award. It is the first time in the quarter of century that the awards have been running that a hat-trick of consecutive wins has been achieved.

The trophy was presented to Ray Ashworth, the managing director of DAF Trucks UK, at a dinner and reception for 1400 luminaries of the industry.
Ashworth was delighted, saying, We are proud that the DAF CF85 has earned this important industry award. Everyone in our industry and throughout the DAF team recognizes the significance of this award since it is an accolade from the fleet operators themselves. To win in 2008, 2009 and 2010 – three of the most challenging years the UK transport industry has ever experienced – underlines the value of this award. It highlights the exceptional fuel economy and overall efficiency of the CF85, together with the outstanding in-service support provided by our nationwide network of dedicated dealers.

Greeneville plant wins safety awards for sixth year running

The North Carolina Department of Labour has lavished two safety awards upon NACCO Materials Handling Group's manufacturing plant in Greeneville. The plant makes Yale and Hyster lift trucks, and they pipped the Linde forklift to both the Gold Safety Award and the Million Award; the sixth year in a row that they have taken home the trophies. Colin Wilson, the chief operating officer and president for NACCO Materials Handling Group Americas, said, Our employees are our greatest asset, and their safety is our top priority. These awards demonstrate that commitment and also speak to the dedication of our employees, who partner with us to promote a safe work environment.

The success of the Greeneville plant's devotion to safety means that it is now eligible to apply for the Carolina Star program. The program is designed to eliminate accidents, and honour effective safety protocol and management, and is a collaboration between the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Division, and the upper echelons of company management. The requirements for receiving the Gold Safety Award are stringent; there must be a clean record of no fatalities in the last twelve months, and the rate of minor accidents must be no less than 50 percent below the industry average. The Greeneville facility's rate was more than 70 percent below the average. The Million Hour award has a more straightforward criterion; the facility must clock up 1 million work hours without illness or injury requiring a day off.

PACCAR show increase in second quarter revenue

The renowned truck trader and manufacturer PACCAR has revealed a upsurge in total revenue in the second quarter in comparison to the second quarter of 2009. The 2010 figures saw a total company revenue of $2464.1 million, a 33.3% increase on the $1848.9 million reported this time last year. The truck sector of PACCAR, primarily new and used DAF trucks, showed a healthy increase, with a total pre-tax income in the second quarter of $110.3 million, compared to only $7.4 million in 2009's second quarter.

The net income of PACCAR in the second quarter was $99.6 million, a sturdy increase compared to $26.5 million in the previous year. The end of quarter two saw them report total marketable securities and cash liquidity of $2.12 billion.

Mark C Pigott, the chairman and chief executive officer of PACCAR, said:

Paccar reported improved revenues and net income for the second quarter of 2010. Against a backdrop of global truck markets that are only gradually emerging from historically low levels, Paccar’s results reflect the benefits of higher truck and parts sales and improving financial services profits worldwide. Our customers are benefiting from increased freight tonnage, which has resulted in higher fleet utilisation rates, resulting in positive gains for our aftermarket parts sales. The US and Canadian truck market is gradually adjusting to higher priced vehicles resulting from the EPA 2010 emissions change. The European truck market is still lagging behind last year’s volumes, but DAF achieved a significant increase in market share, which has delivered improved financial results.

New excavator factory in Brazil for JCB

JCB's commitment to the global manufacture of excavators has been further underwritten by the opening of a new factory in Brazil, which has just produced its inaugural vehicle; a 20-ton tracked excavator. The JS200LC is now in the possession of Sao Paulo construction firm Jorcal Engenharia E Construções S/A, with the owner Renato Rédis stating that he is extremely pleased with his acquisition. The new factory is adjacent to JCB's backhoe loader factory in Sorocaba, and produced the first Brazilian-made tracked excavator; a model twice the size of a mini digger. JCB have also recently opened a new factory in the UK, in Uttoxeter. The opening of the Sorocaba excavator plant was marked by a ceremony attended by JCB's chief corporate development officer, David Bell, the regional director, Carlos Hernandez, and Vitor Lippi, Sorocaba's mayor. Hernandez said, The Latin American region is undergoing strong growth this year and our decision to constantly invest in the expansion of production capability will help us achieve our objective of maintaining business growth and increasing our market share in the region.

The factory was built in a mere seven months, and is replete with a training centre, in order to maximise the after-sales service for customers in Brazil.

New forklift fleet for Oakland 3PL

Oakland International is a 3PL (third party logistics)solutions firm based in Redditch, Worcestershire, and its speciality is the storage and distribution of food products, with storage temperatures ranging from ambient to chilled and frozen. The demand for such a solutions provider has been growing to the extent that the firm has refurbished its storage facility, which stands at 135,000 square feet, in order to maximise the narrow aisle storage space. Oakland's general manager Ed Ross said, Because of the premium costs involved in providing chilled storage, it is important that we make maximum use of the space we have available so it made sense to expand our narrow aisle store.

The facility is now a combination of both narrow and wide aisle storage space, but with an emphasis on the narrow aisle. This allows the pallet capacity to be increased by a fifth, bringing the capacity up to 8000 racked pallets. The increase in narrow aisle storage required an another increase; more narrow aisle forklifts. Furthermore, the new vehicles needed to be able to operate effectively in both narrow and wide aisle contexts. Oakland embarked upon a sequence of research, evaluation and analysis, and eventually decided upon a fleet of Flexi EURO articulated forklifts, supplied by Narrow Aisle Ltd. The Flexi EURO is compact and manoeuvrable, and is capable of lifting 1600 Kg to a height of more than 8 metres.

The combination of increased narrow aisle storage, with the manoeuvrability of the trucks has allowed Oakland to optimise the efficiency of their storage as well as the accessibility of their stored pallets. The efficiency of the Flexi trucks has increased the throughput of the site to more than 10 pallets per truck per hour, which has led to a major improvement in cost efficiency. The stainless steel and zinc-coated Flexi trucks are able to work in freezer conditions and are electric powered. Ed Ross detailed how pleased Oakland are with the results, saying:
Our investment reflects the company's overall approach to safe productive working, reducing costs and delivering improved value that will directly benefit Oakland customers. It also takes into account our desire to support Oakland employees, by providing state of the art equipment to help them undertake a range of materials handling operations, with the end result being improved operational functionality, flexibility and efficiency. Once we had decided that articulated forklift truck technology represented the best materials handling solution for us we reviewed and tested the various brands of articulated truck on the market. The case for the Flexi was, in our opinion particularly strong. One of the most impressive aspects of the truck's design was the ease with which batteries are changed which minimizes truck downtime between charges.

The Sales and Marketing Director of Narrow Aisle Flexi, John Maguire, said, We are delighted to be working with Oakland to provide a solution for the company's materials handling needs. The Flexi truck is popular among 3PLs who need to maximise storage density and require safe and efficient throughput and Oakland were quick to realise the benefits that articulated truck technology could bring to their operation.

Tough task ahead for new Caterpillar Inc. CEO

The earnings per share targets inherited by Caterpillar Inc.'s new CEO Doug Oberhelman are unlikely to met, according to analysts of the financial markets. The 2012 target, which Oberhelman was bequeathed by his predecessor Jim Owens, is for earnings to be between $8 and $10 per share. Analysts who have been studying Caterpillar's figures have predicted an average earning of $6.08 per share, which is 32 percent less than the target.

The demand within the construction equipment market is once again growing, after the recession, and Caterpillar, as the largest manufacturer of such equipment in the world, as demonstrated by the ubiquity of the Caterpillar excavator, has announced a $1.5 billion investment in order to raise the level of output and meet the demands. Investors in the company are worried that there may be a repeat of the previous period of sales growth, when Caterpillar, famous for its diggers for sale, managed to fail to show a significant profit.

Of all the industrial companies in the USA, Caterpillar Inc. is the second largest debtor, after General Electric Co., and as such is watched carefully by Joel Levington, one of the Managing Directors of Corporate Credit at New York's Brookfield Investment Management Co. Levington says, Show me that you can improve your inventory management, manage your raw-material inflation and show me you can expand operating margins. You need more than just revenue growth.

The second quarter results are due to be announced by Caterpillar, and as yet, Caterpillar have refused to comment on speculation regarding their earnings per share.

Andrew Casey, an analyst for Boston's Wells Fargo, observed, If the company produces higher-than-anticipated earnings in the short term as we expect, investors may begin to place a higher probability on Caterpillar’s ability to achieve its longer-term revenue and earnings targets.

Whilst sales have have grown steadily, with data compiled by Jefferies and Co. showing that a 24 percent increase between 2006 and 2008, Caterpillar's profit margins plateaued, as they paid more to suppliers in order to speed up their acquisition of parts, and the price of raw materials rose. Demand for Caterpillar products rose throughout 2007/2008, but as they increased production to meet those demands, so did their expenditure. Mark Demos, a portfolio manager for Fifth Third Asset Management Inc., which, as part of the $17.8 billion under their management, holds an interest in Caterpillar to the tune of 125,379 shares, said, They tried to produce too much in too little time.

In terms of their competitors, Komatsu Ltd., the Japanese firm, increased both earnings and revenue between 2006-2008, by 83 percent and 39 percent respectively. Deere and Co., makers of John Deere tractors, also saw a 2006-2008 increase in profit, by 21 percent, and sales, by 30 percent. However, Caterpillar have climbed this year on the Dow Jones, after gaining 17 percent; Deere and Co. also climbed, by 12 percent, whilst Komatsu dropped by 11 percent. Caterpillar's nascent resurgence can be attributed to measures taken in the last two years, particularly improving production capacity, and streamlining both its supplier base, and its methods of purchasing raw materials. Robert Wertheimer, an analyst with Morgan Stanley, commented, A lot of ground work has been laid. What the company needs to do is execute.

However therre are risks inherent within the recovery. Almoost two thirds of Caterpillar's revenue in the first quarter of the year came form outside the US and Canada. The International Monetary Fund has forecast that global growth will be in excess of earlier projections, but also issued warnings that the economic problems of Europe could still affect the capital which is being pumped into the emerging markets, particularly of Asia. Jeff Windau, an analyst for Edward Jones and Co., said, We need to a have a really strong economic recovery” for Caterpillar to hit its 2012 earnings target. It’s an aggressive goal.

However, Ann Duignan, an analyst at JPMorgan Chase and Co. in New York, thinks otherwise, commenting that earnings of $8 per share, may not be as big a stretch as some believe, before predicting earnings of $8.69 per share. We believe the market is overlooking what could turn out to be the beginning of the next multi-year construction cycle in the U.S, she commented.

Doug Oberhelman earned a degree in finance from the Millikin University in Illinois in 1975, and began working for Caterpillar in the same year. From 1998 until 2001 he was the vice president of the engine unit, and under his stewardship, the engine unit increased its profitability. He now has a big job on his hands, after taking over form Jim Owens as CEO. Eli Lustgarten, an analyst for Longbow Research, offers this comparison, Owens tends to be more cerebral. Oberhelman will be more focused on operations and improving profit.

Volvo and DHL team up to trial new hybrid 18-ton distribution truck

The first 18-ton hybrid truck, specifically a distribution truck, is to be released on a trial basis by a partnership of the DHL supply network, and Volvo trucks. It is equipped with both a diesel engine and an electric motor, either one of which can be used to power the vehicle, or they can be sued in conjunction. The truck is capable of reducing fuel consumption by up to 15 percent, as well lowering emissions and noise levels.

The partnership between Volvo trucks and DHL is aimed at pioneering a number of initiatives designed to improve safety, efficiency and environmental responsibility within the sector. Both DHL and Volvo shared this commitment to the development of more eco-friendly and fuel efficient vehicles, and the cooperative arose from there, with the new hybrid truck destined for a two-year trial period. This trial period will initially focus on the London area, after a debut in Hatfield, with a number of DHL clients, whose interests already ran towards fuel efficiency when looking into new trucks for sale, committed to taking it into their fleets. Ian MacAuley, who is the Innovation Manager for the UK Fleet Engineering Services department of DHL supply chain, stated:

Reducing carbon emissions is an important issue facing businesses and we always endeavour to make sure we drive positive environmental change. DHL has made a firm commitment to improve its carbon efficiency by 30 per cent by 2020, and new developments in vehicle technology and fuels will be vital in achieving the target. This hybrid solution is a world first for 18-tonne distribution vehicles. Energy efficient vehicles also have the benefit of reducing costs and in a time when businesses are keen to drive out inefficiencies this is an important cost saver to recognise.

Liftgate problems solved by Trailchargers

Liftgates can be extremely useful, as they can be more efficient than ramps, allowing operators to be more effective. However, if electric-over-hydraulic mechanism is failed, by dead or dying batteries for example, then it becomes entirely redundant. At worse, it can be costly, as when the batteries fail when the gate is lowered, and it is unable to be raised, which can necessitate an SOS to a call-out service.

Drivers are often known to leave the engine idling, as this keeps the alternator rotating, which in turn keeps the auxiliary batteries charged. However, Bruce Purkey, president of Purkey's Electrical Consulting, observes that many local laws are legislating against idling engines. This leaves the batteries with sole responsibility for the liftgate, and the more often that a truck has to stop and start, the less time there is for the running engine to recharge the batteries. Given that a liftgate is useful for delivery trucks, such as midesize volvo trucks, this can present a problem.

It is vital to get the charging time correct; equally so to get the voltage quality right. Fortunately, there is a recommended practice, as proffered by the Technology & Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations. It kindly suggests that the batteries be powered by no less than a half a volt, regardless of the wiring's length. The problem with this is that long trailers can sometimes have gaps of up to 60 feet between the battery units. Even if it is not quite that long, it can still be problematic because resistance can be caused by a variety of other variables; incorrect wire gauges, fuses and loose connections. The voltage used for charging should be at least 14, if not more, but more often that not, according to data which Purkey collected, dips to 13.25. The lower voltage leads to a superficial charge, depletes battery life and can also damage some of the small motors inside the the lifting mechanism of the liftgate.

Purkey says that there are a variety of charging circuits available, each of which has their own pros and cons.

Single pole circuits entail an independent positive connection between the tractor and trailer batteries. The fifth wheel of the tractor acts as the ground, and so depends on the state of the fifth wheel, for example corrosion and dirt .

Dual pole circuits entail a positive cable and a negative cable, acting as connections between the tractor and trailer batteries, in cahoots with an insulated plug. The current is able to flow in both directions, and whichever battery has the lowest amount of charge will draw the current. The engine being started will catalyse the the trailer battery into trying to assist in powering the starter motor.

Reefer charging entails trailer batteries with parallel connections to the battery, which allows the the reefer engine to charge the batteries when it runs. Unfortunately the reefer can overload and then the voltage can drop. If the reefer unit is inactive, then there is no charging.


According to Purkey, there is a solution, and the solution is the Trailcharger, which is a DC to DC converter. The Trailcharger, made by SurePower Industries, will boost an input from between 9-16 volts, and will stabilise or correct it to 14 volts, which keeps the batteries properly charged. It is also capable of compensating for varying temperatures.


Trailchargers are available in 20 and 50 amp versions. In order to test which one will be most appropriate, Purkey says that you should factor in what is the heaviest load that they will handle, and then measure the amperes, and the time that it takes the motor to raise and lower the gate. The Trailcharger is located near the auxiliary battery, and is the wired to the charging circuit, whichever one is present.

Sometimes Purkey will add an 'extender', which is an electronic device that optimises the Trailcharger when used with a dual-pole circuit. When the engine is not running, the extender ensures that the trailer batteries are kept charged. It also ceases to take a charge for a period, in order to read the voltage available, and then decides whether to keep charging.

Purkey has installed hundreds of Trailchargers into a variety of vehicles, including volvo trucks, iveco trucks and renault trucks. The feedback has been universally positive, helping as it does to solve all of the most common problems inherent to liftgates.

The advent of pneumatic tyres

Tractors are a vital cog in the world economy, and such luminaries as Massey Ferguson tractors keep the agricultural model feeding the world. 1932 was the year which saw a huge development in the history of the tractor. Up until this juncture, the materials used were steel, cast iron and wood, but in 1932, Allis-Chalmers, Firestone and Goodyear pioneered pneumatic tyres- and from thenceforth rubber became a crucial component of tractor manufacture. Allis-Chalmers were the first to offer an 'air tyre', on their model U tractor, but the concept rapidly caught on, and soon all manufacturers were utilising them.

Firestone began by making rear wheel tyres, replete with a chevron tread pattern, whilst Goodyear favoured a diamond patterned tread. A battery of tests revealed that an air pressure of 12 psi was perfect for tractor tyres.

Allis-Chalmers had actually presented the innovation to the engineers of other companies, in a meeting in 1932, whereby they demonstrated their findings, using graphs and figures to illustrate the pneumatic tyre's superiority over steel wheels. The other engineers were dubious however, and their scepticism was mirrored by the farmers who operated the tractors. This initial reluctance was overcome by demonstrable empiricism, when tyre manufacturers worked in conjunction with tractor dealers to perform experiments in front of the farmers. They conducted demonstrations of ploughing, using two tractors, identical in every way except that one was fitted with pneumatic tyres, and the other with steel wheels. They showed that the benefits of pneumatic tyres were many; they could plough faster; they gave better traction; they were smoother and produced lest kick-up, and they were able to be driven on roads.

In 1933, Allis-Chalmers began a promotional exercise which involved racing tractors at various state fairs. 1934 saw A-C test a row-crop tractor fitted alternately with pneumatic tyres and steel wheels. The pneumatic tyres were proven to be more fuel efficient, and offer better drawbar pull power. The power of economics dictated that once this had been established, farmers were quick to clamour for pneumatic tyres.

Liebherr step up efforts to be 'green'

Liebherr, one of the foremost manufacturers of cranes in the world is to invest a considerable sum of money into modifying its vast factory at Biberach an der Riss in Germany. The factory, which makes Liebherr cranes and employs over 2000 members of staff, is to be reconfigured with environmental responsibility in mind, with the recycling of materials, renewable energy, sustainable resources and efficient usages of energy being the primary objectives.

The huge production centre has already been covered with solar panels, which span acres, rendering the plant photovoltaic and capable of an output of 3 Megawatts. This system of renewable energy can generate 2.6 million kWh per annum, and this system also dramatically reduces the amount of carbon dioxide produced and emitted, with 2500 tons less produced in a given year.

Also crucial is the recycling and minimisation of waste, and to this end, there are three material collection points; one for each work area. The collection points are easy to access, and feature a colour-coding system which allows easy identification. They are capable of reusing cardboard, paper, plastic and glass, as well as other more industrial materials.

The contamination of ground water was another concern, and this has been addressed in a number of ways: double-sealed foundations now feature below all processing machines; foundations are also subject to a special coating process, and sheet metal lines the excavation trenches, in order to ensure that they are impermeable. Materials that can be reused are reused, with a salient example being the cooling lubricants, which, after use on a machine, are collected and then sent to a unit which distils, cleans and separates the lubricant from the collected machine oil. The cooling water is also cleaned, re-cooled, and then reintroduced into the lubricant.

The processing machines are equipped with air suction equipment, which reuse the hot air produced by the machines in order to heat the production areas. This not only reduces the consumption of energy, but is cost effective as well. All paintwork uses water soluble paint, and the processing machines are liveried in noise-reducing material, in order to cut down on noise pollution. The commitment to the environment does not stop at the factory gates; aside from being a major force in the new and used cranes sector, Liebherr also utilise their Biberach plant to create crucial components for the systems which harness wind power to create energy.

Upsurge in sales for Daimler AG

Daimler AG, the automotive behemoth based in Germany, has seen released figures for the quarter that show an upsurge in demand for Mercedes trucks, with the current relative weakness of the Euro driving higher exports. The operating profit for the second quarter was reported to be €2.1 billion, which represents a remarkable turn around from the same time last year, which showed a $1 billion loss. The difference in sales revenues between this quarter, and the same quarter last year was €5.5 billion, with the revenues being €25.1 billion and €19.6 billion respectively. The majority of the profits were form the Mercedes cars division, with Benz trucks also performing strongly.

The auto division recorded sales of €14 billion, with many sales occurring in China and the United States. Auto analyst Juergen Pieper also highlighted, an advantageous product mix as well as better price penetration and positive exchange effects as the euro declined in value against other major currencies. Pieper, who works Metzler Bank, also said, A lot of positive things are coming together. It is almost a boom in premium cars this year, double-digit growth for these products. We had very positive comments from BMW this week and we have the same now from Daimler, he noted, with makers of high-end cars almost back at levels of profitability seen before the global economic crisis.

Daimler also implemented a variety of cost cutting measures in its truck division, which is the largest producer of heavy vehicles in the world. The full second quarter results are to be published on the 27th of July, and BHF Bankk analyst Aleksej Wunrau said, We can expect a very nice upward rrevision, before adding that his own predictions had been surpassed by 10 to 15 percent.

It has also been announced that Daimler are to embark upon a joint venture with Foton Motor in China. The growth of the market in China, now the world's largest, is huge. The trends also look good for Daimler, with Pieper noting, Especially in Asia, we are coming back to a trend towards bigger cars and bigger engines.

Hiring Cranes

Construction is an industry that places demands on time, money and equipment. Equipment needs to be top quality, and yet project budgets need to be balanced. Added to this, some equipment seems to cost the earth, whilst being in operation for only a short time. This is because it may perform a function that is crucial to the project, and yet is only necessary once. An example of this is are cranes, which require a significant investment. This is the reason that hiring cranes has become such a common practice among contractors; buying and then assembling cranes is expensive, time consuming and potentially hazardous. Instead, contractors are hiring mobile cranes to do the lifting. This solution is beneficial for a number of reasons. Assembling a static crane requires a day or so of down-time whilst its assembled, which costs money, alongside the actual cost of acquisition. A mobile crane can be hired for a designated day, or number of days, and can come in and perform the necessary lifting, with no down time. It also creates more space on site, as static cranes tend to sprawl, whilst a mobile crane is anchored by its vehicle, and some outriggers.

Space is an important concept when considering the pros and, well pros, of hiring a mobile crane, for one key reason; manoeuvrability. Mobile cranes are capable of accessing spaces which wouldn't have been possible with a static crane, and can operate effectively in compact and demanding sites. Narrow roads, awkward building configurations, these things are now accessible, and the lifting apparatus of mobile cranes are powerful enough to handle the majority of applications.

Another benefit of hiring a mobile crane is that all of the auxiliary costs- maintenance, MOT, insurance and so on- are covered by the hire company. This ensures that the crane will be in excellent condition when it comes to yyyou, that it has been recently serviced, and it frees up your time, as these things simply don't have to concern you, as they would if you owned a crane. If the circumstances arise that you will need the crane for an extended period of time, but still don't want to buy one outright, then leasing a crane could be the right option. This is similar to renting, but over a longer period, and can work out as very cost effective. The only caveat is that in the case of leasing, maintenance and insurance are your responsibility. All of the key manufacturers are represented in the mobile crane hire world, with hire firms offering Liebherr cranes, Potain cranes, and so on. The hire firm will also be able to listen to the details of your project, and help you to decide which crane is best suited.

Sisu and Daimler AG enter joint venture

2011 will see a joint venture between Daimler AG and Sisu, with components for Mercedes benz trucks being shipped to Karjaa in Finland, where Oy Sisu Auto Ab. is based. Sisu will provide axles, frames and drive-shafts, whilst the cabs, transmissions and engines will be supplied by Daimler, form the Mercedes-Benz Actros range, and the volume is projected to be between 200 and 400 vehicles a year, contingent upon the results of a 'feasibility study'. At present the Sisu range of commercial vehicles is based upon the Premium cab by Renault, but at the moment it is speculation as to whether this range will continue, or be phased out. Similarly, the engines in Sisu vehicles are currently manufactured by Caterpillar, but whether that will be continued in tandem with the new Actros-based range is, at this juncture, mysterious. A press release stated that the trucks will marketed and sold by the Sisu brand, and that the feasibility study will be complete by the end of 2010.

Hubertus Troska, head of Mercedes-Benz trucks, has said:

We are delighted that Sisu has selected us as a supplier of high-quality components. Sisu is a traditional brand known for first class trucks. Once the feasibility study has been successfully concluded, we will be able to open up a new area of business and generate additional sales potential for our vehicle components.

The press release went further, stating:

The vehicles will be sold via the Veho Commercial Vehicles sales network in Finland. The Veho Group Oy Ab. has been importing Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and commercial vehicles since 1939 and also sells the Fuso Canter and Setra buses in Finland. The market for medium-and heavy-duty trucks in Finland encompassed about 2,600 units in the crisis year of 2009 (approx. 3,500 trucks are sold in a normal year). There were around 390 new Mercedes Benz trucks delivered, giving thee brand a market share of 15%. Following the conclusion of the feasibility study, the future delivery of all key components to the independent truck manufacturer Sisu will particularly benefit the VEHO Group Oy's workshop network, as VEHO Group Oy also maintains and repairs SISU vehicles in its role as general representative for Mercedes Benz commercial vehicles. In addition, it is expected that Mercedes-Benz's share of this Scandinavian truck market would increase.

First Blog - hello world!

This is the assettradex blog on the blogger network. Here you will find news and updates on all manner of construction equipment as well as trucks, materials handling and agricultural equipment news. Thanks for reading!