The component suppliers' view
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• The merger between Leyland and Daf, which produces its own heavy truck engines, has already caused a stir among Leyland component suppliers worried about the possible consequences.
According to Roger Wilsdon, UK field operations manager with Cummins Engines, Leyland has been a major customer for many years with "around 50% of all Leyland heavy duty tractive units and eight-wheelers powered by Cummins engines."
Cummins "would obviously regret any decision by Leyland Daf not to make Cummins engines available, which we clearly believe to be the first choice of many operators — as demonstrated by the fact that Cummins powers over 70% of all new British-built heavy duty tractors."
Last year Cununins supplied over 900 engines to Leyland in the 29-tonne plus market.
Perkins Engines, which also supplies Leyland with Perkins Eagle and Gardner diesel engines, is less forthcoming about how the merger will effect its sales. According to a company spokesman: "Daf hasn't informed us of its plans, although we are hopeful it will continue to support British industry".
• Wolverhampton-based Spicer Transmissions, which provides gearboxes for both the Roadrunner, lightweight Freighter and the Roadtrain, says it will have to wait and see what the timescale is for any changes.
Sales manager Barry Deacon says that he was "greatly relieved" when it was announced that Ley land would continue to ■ • produce models up to 16 tonnes, which provide the largest part of Spicer's gearbox business with Leyland. At the heavier end, however, Deacon says that it seems inevitable that any joint Leyland/Daf heavy truck model will have a synchromesh gearbox, and at the moment Spicer does not have a syrichro version of the constant-mesh SST gearbox currently fitted in the Roadtrain.
The supply of SST gearboxes is, says Deacon, "obviously significant" and if it were to be dropped quickly by Leyland it is business that Spicer would have to replace. He stresses, however, that as yet no details on the likely time scale of such a move have been revealed.
"We are sitting back and waiting to see what happens," says Ralf Birch, Eaton's advertising and sales promotion manager. "because the link-up has only just been announced and no-one yet knows how it will affect future policy.
"We don't see any reason for Eaton either to panic or to become overenthusiastic. Eaton is a longstanding supplier of both axles and transmissions to both companies. We refrain from participating in any speculation."