Further down the road

摘要

As transport companies continue to invest in new road tankers despite increasing operating costs, competition between manufacturers remains strong as they seek to offer new designs and refinements. While some road tanker manufacturers are predicting increased sales volumes for this year, others expect figures to be slightly down on 1999 due to the continuing economic problems being experienced by purchasers. Stiff competition in the manufacturing sector has kept prices for new vehicles low, while customers increasingly ask for more specialised products dedicated to the carriage of one particular type of cargo. As a result, the end product is often more complex - and more expensive to produce - without bringing a significant increase in price.