Newton Trailers Limited News

Spring is springing

State Of the Union

 

Is it just me or does the world seem super topsy turvey at the moment?

The Game of Thrones of the tipping trailer market are revolving once again and the Europeans seem set to make another move in the UK. Partly due to the lack of sales in Europe and partly because the UK is the second largest trailer market in Europe and arguably has been ignored for so long. So Schmitz, Wielton, Krone, and then a whole batch of Turkish groups are showing excitement in making trailers for us.  

From the Newton seat the market appears to be at an historic low - or perhaps we are just playing a bad game of it. Fruehauf are resurgent and powering forwards under MV ownership. So it is time to roll up our sleeves and get better - a good Spring clean then and prepare our game for the Summer harvest.

So once again a reminder that this Blog Post - so unread and so unused - is just the ramblings of an old man's mind and should not be used in a court of Law and as the Spring heats up may I say God Bless to all my customers and wish you all joyous sticky toffee puddings and warm beer.

Posted by Andrew on 26/03/2024

October is here

Somehow we have staggered through to October 2023.  What a weird year. Apart from everyone appears to be getting older it is hard to say anything about 2023. A non year year.  The competition is getting busy. Companies struggling to find the volumes in their home markets, like Benalu, Schmitz, Ozgul (Colson), Mega, STAS and a whole range of others are trying to find market in the UK. And fair dooze they are finding some sales. How good they are and how long they will persist when their own markets crank back up in 2024 is anyone's guess. Like some Zombie that will not die, or perhaps more like the Mummy Returns and then ....returns again, Fruehauf has come alive and is hitting the numbers.  Fruehauf appears infinitely elastic in how far you can stretch a brand without it snapping. So like the Grand National the race is full of old names and new names. How many will make it around the course and how many will retire is simply unknowable. 

Interest rates are complicating the discussions. Such a long time at low rates and then now a sudden spike has led to gold star customers being served rates from 8 to 9 per cent and silver and bronze into the early teens. That is a painful issue that cannot be easily addressed. Perhaps Q1 2024 will help easy the interest rates although a Labour government is not normally a great thing for our industry.

So now we are looking to 2024 there will be a big falling out of company names as they either find a market in the UK or retreat - take market share or leave the battlefield. Interest rates and basic need will dictate the total size of the market. Almost makes you want to skip a year and go straight to 2025.

Posted by Andrew on 09/10/2023

Autumn is here - well harvest is here which is close enough

So 2023 harvest has started in the UK.  

Reports of combine operating in the field so Lincolnshire suggest that summer is over and autumn is here. So TASCC hauliers everywhere will be rolling soon. 

This used to be such an important market for bulk hauliers but with the efficiency of the farming and storage industries today it can be done and dusted in 4 weeks. Either way Newton wish you luck and if you need spare parts to keep the trailers running on all makes - we are here and online.

 

 

Posted by Andrew on 10/07/2023

Summer days drifting away.....

Summer days drifting away.....

not the greatest fan of that song or summer days in general. More of a Spring and Autumn fan. But it does bring on harvest and that is only 3 weeks away now, before powering into sugar beet, apples, then potatoes and carrots...

On the trailer scene suppliers are starting to use phrases like 2007 again.... which no one wants to hear. Certainly European manufacturers are on their arse. One French manufacturer is publishing output at about 30% - so guess what is around the corner - price wars - or is it?

Nothing is quite certain in the current cycle. Normally price drops to support wilting sales. But most manufacturers are weak from Covid or still trying to bring their factories back into consistent output. Sub suppliers such as Wabco or Knorr Bremse or axle suppliers have been hit by huge software outages or even factory fires. It is a strange world when a factory would prefer the outcome of a fire to the outcome of an IT hack! But there you go.

So crystal balls are in short supply and no doubt the wheels will rotate - companies will fall out with each other, and some manufacturers get sold to others such as Legras to Benalu. Now that was an interesting one. A strong French manufacturer purchasing a strong French manufacturer.  Does that make an even stronger factory or confusion. Certainly the world of moving floors looks fragile with many companies investing in extra capacity just as sales tumble. Ouch.

Just rubbing in the sun cream now.

Posted by Andrew on 16/06/2023

European Market

On a similar theme to the last blog.  Uncertainty abounds.

Certainly the European Trailer market is bombing at the moment. As much as it is fun to enjoy French pain - this could have onward implications for us too.

The French trailer market is running as low as 30% of normal - and that is a second year of down. This will mean that French manufacturers of tipping trailers and floors will be searching for exports at any price.  So the UK could see price pressure building as the European targets us. The flip side of this is that labour price pressure is riding on the wave of alumininium and energy price increases. So there is a squeeze on input prices and a squeeze on selling prices.  This has meant some Europeans and UK manufacturers seeing significant losses.

We hear and will see UK manufacturers once again up for sale in both the floor and tipping trailer market. But who would want to purchase small UK manufacturers at a time when the the big Europeans are turning their gaze towards the UK as a possible outlet to dump product?

Interesting times as always.

Posted by Andrew on 16/05/2023

« 1 2 3 4 5 - 17 »