Big six

Author
Discussion

V8Sully

Original Poster:

37 posts

120 months

Wednesday 12th May 2021
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I drove up to Sunderland on Monday to collect a car. (I have a 3.5 ton single car transporter). I went north on the A1 and A19. I got to looking at the heavy trucks on the road and it struck me that they were all from the same six manufacturers. That is DAF, MAN, Mercedes, Renault, Scania and Volvo. Apart from a few Ivecos there were no other makes. All trucks over 7.5 tons were from those six. It was only on the return trip that the run was broken by a solitary ERF.

Is this a monopoly or do we think there is enough competition within the heavy truck market.

Does anyone on here drive any other make?

Cheers

Dave




scorcher

4,013 posts

241 months

Wednesday 12th May 2021
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Don’t drive one , but there’s a Hino 8 wheel tipper I see occasionally. Think it’s the same one but there may be more. Big in Japen apparently, but not over here.

italianjob1275

572 posts

153 months

Thursday 13th May 2021
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Ford have a tractor unit on the continent but as far as I’m aware it’s only available as left hand drive and only as a 4x2 so pretty much a non starter for UK haulage operations.

Whether Ford will bother to make one for the UK would be hard to say especially with the dominance of other manufacturers like you say.

V8Sully

Original Poster:

37 posts

120 months

Thursday 13th May 2021
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I loved the look of the Transcontinental. Very mean and evil looking

legless

1,796 posts

147 months

Saturday 15th May 2021
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V8Sully said:
I drove up to Sunderland on Monday to collect a car. (I have a 3.5 ton single car transporter). I went north on the A1 and A19. I got to looking at the heavy trucks on the road and it struck me that they were all from the same six manufacturers. That is DAF, MAN, Mercedes, Renault, Scania and Volvo. Apart from a few Ivecos there were no other makes. All trucks over 7.5 tons were from those six. It was only on the return trip that the run was broken by a solitary ERF.

Is this a monopoly or do we think there is enough competition within the heavy truck market.

Does anyone on here drive any other make?

Cheers

Dave
There's even less competition than that once you look into the ownership - there's basically only five companies building heavy trucks for the UK market - Volvo, Paccar, Mercedes, Volkswagen and CNH. Only four of these sell any significant volume.

Volvo AB own Renault Trucks. The Renault T shares a lot with the Volvo FH
Paccar only use the DAF brand in the UK these days, having killed off Foden and Leyland
Mercedes are stand-alone
Volkswagen own Scania and MAN. MAN killed ERF years ago
CNH own Iveco, but they're not big sellers in the UK


Edited by legless on Saturday 15th May 19:30

ShampooEfficient

4,275 posts

218 months

Saturday 15th May 2021
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V8Sully said:
I loved the look of the Transcontinental. Very mean and evil looking
Try finding one for a sensible price now...!

Kiribati268

571 posts

144 months

Saturday 15th May 2021
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legless said:
Volvo AB own Renault Trucks. The Renault T shares a lot with the Volvo FH
Indeed. I was handed some Volvo keys at a parcel place and I was filled with joy. Only to jump in it and find that apart from a Volvo badge on the front, and the dials, it was a Renault.

If only the fall of face as I looked at the switches and said 'Wait a minute, this isn't right' was caught on camera!

V8Sully

Original Poster:

37 posts

120 months

Monday 17th May 2021
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Saw a Foden today, near Cannock. I've not seen one of those for some years now

V8Sully

Original Poster:

37 posts

120 months

Monday 17th May 2021
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Similar to this but green

smifffymoto

4,771 posts

212 months

Tuesday 18th May 2021
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To derail the thread abit,
I used to drive a Foden 8 wheeler brick wagon,powered by a 300hp Cat. It had diff locks and cross locks,it didn’t have much go but would go anywhere,also had an Eaton 8 over 4 which had a very unique shift.

AJB88

13,410 posts

178 months

Tuesday 18th May 2021
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Traton is what VW Commercials are called now, they own Scania and MAN

Venisonpie

3,647 posts

89 months

Tuesday 18th May 2021
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smifffymoto said:
To derail the thread abit,
I used to drive a Foden 8 wheeler brick wagon,powered by a 300hp Cat. It had diff locks and cross locks,it didn’t have much go but would go anywhere,also had an Eaton 8 over 4 which had a very unique shift.
I used to drive this amongst other things, it had a 350 cat which was a bit more like it. As you say the half moon gearshift was er unique.

ShampooEfficient

4,275 posts

218 months

Tuesday 18th May 2021
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Venisonpie said:
I used to drive this amongst other things, it had a 350 cat which was a bit more like it. As you say the half moon gearshift was er unique.
I've just gone all funny. Beautiful!

Ella Jean

108 posts

47 months

Thursday 20th May 2021
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Venisonpie said:
smifffymoto said:
To derail the thread abit,
I used to drive a Foden 8 wheeler brick wagon,powered by a 300hp Cat. It had diff locks and cross locks,it didn’t have much go but would go anywhere,also had an Eaton 8 over 4 which had a very unique shift.
I used to drive this amongst other things, it had a 350 cat which was a bit more like it. As you say the half moon gearshift was er unique.
Is that in ipswich by any chance?

I know AM had a big presence in the area and also noted the DX registration

Venisonpie

3,647 posts

89 months

Friday 21st May 2021
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Ella Jean said:
Venisonpie said:
smifffymoto said:
To derail the thread abit,
I used to drive a Foden 8 wheeler brick wagon,powered by a 300hp Cat. It had diff locks and cross locks,it didn’t have much go but would go anywhere,also had an Eaton 8 over 4 which had a very unique shift.
I used to drive this amongst other things, it had a 350 cat which was a bit more like it. As you say the half moon gearshift was er unique.
Is that in ipswich by any chance?

I know AM had a big presence in the area and also noted the DX registration
Yes, Allied Mills Cranfields under the bulk flour hopper.

Ella Jean

108 posts

47 months

Friday 21st May 2021
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My dad used to drive for Rank Hovis, based at Felixstowe.

This is just a pic off google but he did drive this one for a year or so.


loggo

440 posts

119 months

Friday 21st May 2021
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Not sure that six suppliers counts as a near monopoly. Seems quite diverse to.me.

V8Sully

Original Poster:

37 posts

120 months

Saturday 22nd May 2021
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loggo said:
Not sure that six suppliers counts as a near monopoly. Seems quite diverse to.me.
When you compare it to the passenger car and van market, it begins to look a bit like it. I don't really care, it just struck me as unusual. There can't be that many manufactures of heavy goods vehicles throughout the whole world I suppose.

spikeyhead

17,978 posts

204 months

Saturday 22nd May 2021
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AIUI, four is considered about optimum for suppliers in a stable market.

w1bbles

1,059 posts

143 months

Saturday 22nd May 2021
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EU Commission said:
The European Commission has found that MAN, Volvo/Renault, Daimler, Iveco, and DAF broke EU antitrust rules. These truck makers colluded for 14 years on truck pricing and on passing on the costs of compliance with stricter emission rules. The Commission has imposed a record fine of € 2 926 499 000.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/es/IP_16_2582