Refrigerated trailers escape worst of trailer-manufacturing downturn
It was a disastrous year for truck trailer producers - the worst in 3 decades. Not since the 1970s have trailer shipment levels fallen to such a low level.
Each and every one of the 25 largest manufacturers sold fewer trailers last year than inside the two years before. And some had been affected significantly much less than other corporations. Some typically really busy producers reported reductions around 70% of unit volume. The two most consistent trailer builders declined only 6% and 13%; most saw some thing closer to a 50% drop in production.
The prime three trailer producers constructed 57% of all of the trailers manufactured by this list of 25 (plus two) producers. The biggest ten producers - those creating two thousand trailers or a lot more - only turned out 81%.
Surely among the more surprising outcomes of this year's Prime 25 survey was the strength of the refrigerated trailers segment in comparison with the total trailer marketplace location. Reefers boosted longstanding bronze medalist Utility Trailer Manufacturing towards the leading spot. For a good deal of years the enterprise has been the biggest refrigerated trailer manufacturer inside the USA - along with the planet. This year Utility constructed practically 4 instances as several reefers as dry-freight vans. It constructed effectively much more than half of all the refrigerated trailers manufactured in North America in 2009.
Definitely one of the causes refrigerated trailers' production in 2009 was down only 19% in comparison with the basic trailer marketplace place finding down 46% has to complete with government regulations. Particularly, a brand new regulation by the California Air Sources Board (CARB) requirements any mechanically refrigerated trailer unit operating in California that is a lot more than seven years old be modified or replaced to decrease particulate matter emissions. Some seven-year-old refrigeration units may possibly really well be fitted making use of a particulate filter, although other folks had to have a brand new engine or new refrigeration unit. The effective date was July 17, 2009.
This ranking of organizations by the selection of trailers manufactured doesn't necessarily reflect the relative accomplishment of the corporations with regards to income received or profitability. The dollar worth of a trailer could be far diverse according to complexity of style, type of construction, supplies employed and outstanding level.
This Trailer/Body Builders survey is produced by personally telephoning a member of the management team at each single trailer manufacturing organization. The editors wish to congratulate the leading firms listed correct here, 1st of all for surviving the worst monetary crisis and recession given that Planet War II. Secondly, they may well be to turn out to be congratulated for sharing their individual production numbers making use of the rest of the marketplace. When the numbers are so embarrassingly low, the temptation is effective to maintain private particulars private. We applaud them for their industry-conscious disclosure for the benefit of all refrigerated trailer manufacturers.