The number of MAN drivelines in Australia has risen steeply in recent years as over 3,400 Rheinmetall trucks have been handed over to the military. All of these need regular servicing and will mean more personnel in the Penske workforce have hands on experience with the MAN product.
In the all wheel drive the off highway market, MAN has historically been very strong all around the world, and also in Australia. They have been less so in the conventional semi/B double segment. The new product will still mean MAN that all wheel drive, six by six, eight by eight or eight by four with high clearance will continue to sell well.
“Penske has vast experience in operating in Australia, in various services businesses, with a very strong service mindset,” says Alexander Vlaskamp, global MAN CEO. “Not only bringing through the product but also making sure we take care of the product over its lifetime, and taking care of the distribution network as well.
The visibility of the large number of military vehicles around will be a testament to the utility of those trucks. Demand is forecast to increase in the B-double/A-double and to certain extent in the semi market. MAN expects it’s going to be playing in that space in that 400 to 600 hp sector.
When looking at where serious growth is going to come from, the brand is planning on aggressively targeting medium and large fleets, which are running East Coast Australia overnight. The improvements in the TG3 product should get the level of driver acceptance and therefore fleet acceptance, alongside the kinds of total cost of ownership fleets are looking for.
At the same time, Penske has been increasing the reach of its Penske Rental outlets and working on a mix of company owned dealerships and privately held independent dealers, helped by the Rheinmetall relationship. There is now a new dealer development team inside the business, identifying black spots and addressing issues with the network.
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