Key facts about the industry
The year 2009 presented the German commercial vehicle industry and above all the domestic manufacturers of trailers and bodies with the greatest challenge they had seen for decades. During the world-wide financial and economic crisis all commercial vehicle markets went into free-fall, the like and speed of which had never been seen before. The crisis affected all the important markets in Europe and around the world. Export business was also clearly shrinking, unlike in previous years, and at times it even came to a complete standstill. Last year the manufacturers in the German trailer and body industry lost around 47 per cent of their sales as a result of the drastic collapse on the markets in Germany and abroad.
However, last year many German manufacturers also managed to get back on their feet and capture market shares on what were overall clearly diminishing export markets. Furthermore, the VDA’s member companies have managed to adapt production at short notice, reduce stocks and keep as many of their permanent workforce on as possible. And investments in research and development were maintained at a high level so that after the crisis the companies would be right at the forefront, with new products. In this way the companies have once again proved that they think strategically and at the same time are enormously flexible even in the short term.
The year just ending brought the first rays of light after the crisis for the trailer and body industry. In 2010 the manufacturers recovered from their heavy losses in the previous year, although they were starting from a very low level. The most important message is: the trailer and body industry has now come through last year’s historic storm.
The upturn in the transport business has had a positive impact on trailer manufacturers. In the year 2010 domestic sales of semi-trailers probably rose by close to 30 per cent to 21,800 units. For 2011 the VDA expects a rise of 22 per cent to 26,500 units. This means that sales will stay well below the level before the crisis (in 2008) of 41,000 semi-trailers. In 2009 that market collapsed by around 60 per cent but the fall in multiple axle trailer business during the crisis was less severe. For 2011 the VDA expects this category to show a moderate rise in domestic sales of 4 per cent to 22,000 units.
The industry has now weathered the storm of the crisis. For example, the regular staff have been retained as far as possible, and with them the expertise of highly qualified employees. This is paying off now, in the phase of market recovery. ´
