Despite a drop in Truck volumes in the last few months, truck majors such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland and Eicher have raised prices by about 2% to 2.5%. This is necessitated by a steep rise in the cost of raw materials and installation of expensive safety features in line with mandatory norms.
However, according to sources, dealers of commercial vehicles have not yet passed on the hike to their customers as most of them are stuck with huge inventory. The trend was earlier seen in 2005, when Trucks adhering to the BS3 emission norms were forced to raise their prices by around Rs 50,000 per vehicle.
“Recent government norms have made it mandatory for multi-axle tractor-trailers and buses with all-India tourist permits to install anti-lock braking system or ABS, a feature currently seen only in expensive cars. ABS and headrests typically push up prices of trucks by about Rs 10,000 to Rs 45,000 per unitâ€, the sources added.
While multi-axle vehicle prices have gone up by Rs 25,000, Tractor-Trailers are costlier by Rs 45,000. Bus prices have gone up in the range of Rs 7,000 to Rs 12,000 per unit despite low sales. State Transport Corporations which are typically large buyers of buses, have been deferring their purchase decisions due to low funds.
Truck majors initiated steps last month when they reduced discounts. “We are hoping things will start improving from November. We are initiating a number of measures to boost sales,†said Tata Motors executive director P M Telang. Industry sales have been hit by rising interest rates in the last few months as most of the Trucks are bought through finance. However truck majors are initiating cost cutting initiatives to sustain growth momentum.
In spite of the commercial vehicle industry declining by about 5%, Eicher has registered a sales growth of 12.5%,”said Eicher’s commercial vehicles division CEO A Ramasubramanian.
Tags: Tractor Trailers, Trucks for sale
Having decided on a career as a Professional truck driver you should know, before enrolling in truck driving school, that there are several different types of truck drivers. Although you will be made aware of this during your training you may come to realize you have enrolled in the wrong program for what type of truck you would like to drive. Any type of truck driver has its own advantages as well as disadvantages and it is important to know about this beforehand.When most people think of truck drivers they have a picture in their mind of all the hundreds of truckers seen daily along America’s highways and interstates. These are called long distance divers or long hauls. Drivers of these type trucks do at times take trips which bring then back home the same day but for the most parts drivers of heavy trucks do stay on the road for long periods of time, something which is not suitable for everyone. Local drivers on the other hand, has more frequent stops during the day, interact more with clients and are able to go home after their shift.
Specialized truck drivers are those who operate double and triple Tractor trailers. They also operate Tank trucks, wet and dry bulk carriers, auto carriers and heavy specialized equipment. In order to drive these trucks special training and preparation is needed for a driver to be able to better understand the trucks he will be driving as well as the cargo he will be hauling. Another type of truck drivers who need special training is those who will be transporting hazardous material. Their training will usually be provided by the employer.
Then there are the owner operators and independent drivers. These normally start out as every one else, by driving a truck for someone else and collecting a salary. After some time in the business they get their own trucks and equipment and start hauling freight for several different companies. Among these types of truck drivers you can often find husband and wife teams as well as other family members. Independent and owner operated truck drivers can end up having a very lucrative business if managed right.
Taking all this into consideration it would be wise to do some research into what kind of Truck driver school to enroll in and prepare yourself for the one you like the best.
Tags: Dry Bulk carriers, Professional truck, Tank Trucks, Tractor Trailers, Truck Drivers
