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Daf aims to boost produdion
Page 12
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DAF SAYS 2005 is shaping up for another record year, but it's warning that keeping up with demand is becoming increasingly difficult.
Long lead times are currently a problem for almost allmanufacturers. and while Daf says its order book is "huge". UK MD Stuart Hunt says the business is -not being responsive enough to customers".
Speaking on the eve of the CV Show, he reports that Daf had increased production significantly and was now delivering a record number of trucks to customers. A year ago, the plants at Leyland and Eindhoven were producing 174 trucks a day; now it is 209a 20% increase.
But Hunt admits that it still isn't enough: "It's easy enough to say that we will increase production, but it is difficult to deliver on, and our component suppliers are as stretched as I have ever seen them. This has put pressure on our cost base, especially steel."
This led Daf to raise prices by 3% in March; Hunt says the firm is waiting to see what happens before deciding whether to "take more price action in due course".
But it also seems to be considering breaking into some new niche markets the CV Show stand features a Pet-Reg tractor unit. Weighing in at only 7,010kg, Hunt claims it was the "lightest truck in the Universe at 44 tonnes!"