Surviving the wait
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Lead times are unlikely to get any better in 2008. Louise Cole looks into the underlying causes and asks operators how they are coping.
For several months now commercial vehicle lead times have been long and getting longer, and the problem shows no signs of abating before next summer.
The causes of the problem are well known: limited component supply (for instance in tyres, NOx sensors, and gearboxes) and rampant demand in Eastern Europe.
The UK and US markets are both having problems, which encourages manufacturers to move their product into the new growth areas.
And while operators may look forward to the day when trucks roll into the yard quicker, the manufacturers are keen that this shouldn't be at the expense of their lucrative new markets such as Poland.
So the question is: what can manufacturers and operators do to cope?