TRUCKS & TRANSPORTATION
SERVICE TRUCKS TREND TOWARD SMALLER, LIGHTER AND MORE CAPABLE BY ADAM OPPERMANN
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hile it has been impacted by a variety of factors – from COVID-19 to factory fires and weather disruptions – the market for mechanic service trucks remains strong, and manufacturers are offering plenty of new features for their customers to take advantage of. A rebound has seen commercial vehicle markets returning to pre-pandemic trends. According to the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA), the need is there as evident by the nearly 11 percent bump so far in 2021 versus 2020. And manufacturers are putting time and money behind new innovations to support everything from better safety measures to new green initiatives, more focus on battery power and more. Even with a positive outlook, the supply chain has greatly reduced inventory. So, if you are looking to update your fleet in 2022, it is important to consider reaching out to your manufacturer or distributor to see what is available as soon as possible.
DEMAND INCREASED AFTER EFFECTS OF PANDEMIC
While the pace slowed at the beginning stages of COVID-19, it started picking up toward the end of the year. Demand was even stronger at the beginning of 2021, and the momentum has not slowed down through the mid-year point. It is not to say the industry did not feel the weight of the pandemic, but it never hit the lows that came after the financial crisis. Overall, the industry saw a year-over-year drop of more than 20 percent, according to Steve Latin-Kasper, NTEA senior director of market data and research. For the work truck industry, Latin-Kasper says the pandemic price tag was $30 billion in 2020 as OEMs took two-thirds of the hit. The NTEA’s work truck forecast sees a market rebound of about 10 percent year-over-year for unit sales of $141 billion
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compared to $126 billion in 2020. For reference, 2019’s total revenue was $156 billion. Industries across the world had supply chains shut off and turned back on only to see demand of historic proportions. For the mechanic service truck industry, this caused supply chain issues from chassis to paint. Although supply chain issues are improving in some facets, it appears this could linger well into 2022. Even prior to the pandemic, the chassis supply chain was not abundant. It is even tougher to secure now, mostly due to electronic components. Between COVID impacts and a major fire at a Japanese factory, semiconductors and the chips they are used in are difficult to come by right now. Winter weather in Texas only exasperated the already-challenged supply chain from COVID-19. Business Insider says Texas leads North America in petroleum refining production, a key ingredient in mixing manufacturing paint and bedliner products. The uncharacteristic 2021 winter storm reduced the state’s capacity to refine petroleum, leading to a greatly reduced ability to manufacture nearly all paints.
TRENDS IN SERVICE TRUCK DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION The ever-evolving industry is seeing different customer demands from weight savings to a smaller chassis and more.
