Low interest pays off more expensive truck

As soon as they knew that a law of stiffer emissions would take effect in January 2012, many shippers anticipated purchases of trucks to escape the price increase that would come with technological changes. But the strategy has not paid off. Although less polluting truck has gotten more expensive, the reduction in interest on the credit line Finame, most often used in the sector, offset adjustment. Who now funds the more modern and cleaner vehicle pays to provide less than one who rushed to buy the cheapest model, the previous and more polluting generation
In 2011, the rate of 7.83% of the varied Finame 10.56% per year. Who financed a truck of $ 200,000 at the time paid monthly fees of 0.63% to 0.84%, equivalent to R $ 4,013 plots to £ 4,260 a 60 month plan. When the year turned and the new legislation entered into force, vehicle prices rose 10% on average. Sales began to fall, a reflection of the anticipation of purchases in the previous year. That's when the Government decided to give a helping hand.
In September 2012, the rate of Finame was reduced to 2.5% per annum. The drop in interest began to compensate for high prices. The truck that was to cost $ 220 million was financed in 60 installments of R $ 3,190 in the second half of 2012. This year, the interest of Finame rose slightly, to 3%. But the provision is still more attractive. The new rate of 0.25% per month, the monthly fee is $ 3,960 on the same plane of 60 months.
"Never in this country if you have purchased truck paying interest of 3% per year," says Roberto Cortes, President of MAN. The rate will be kept at 3% until July. In the second half will rise to 4%, but is still seen as advantageous, particularly for allowing a schedule of orders.
In the long and controversial history of change in emissions legislation, the reduction of interest was a claim in the industry, which for months has sent representatives to London to try to convince the Government to facilitate the purchase of less polluting vehicles. Cuts does not assign the incentive to this mobilization: "the Government had an interest that the economy walked and, therefore, opened the doors".
The cost of credit has important weight in the optimistic projections of industry, designing sales growth between 7% and 10% in 2013. But also reinforces this expectation with the super crop and the prospect of economic growth.
In addition, the new generation of trucks also appeals to the carrier, according to automakers, because it is more efficient. "At the beginning seemed to fudge of manufacturer, but in conversations with customers, they tell us that have achieved savings of up to 10%", says the Managing Director of Scania's sales, Roberto Leoncini.
"In addition to more economical, the new trucks have more power and make it possible to reduce travel time," says Oswaldo garden, Chief Operating Officer of Ford trucks in South America. The Sales Director of Mercedes-Benz, Tânia, says that with "more stable average speed also lost less time on slopes". For more efficiency, the driver must, however, be aware of changes in the way of driving. The new guidelines have been thoroughly passed to truckers over months. Only the Mercedes-Benz put thousand vehicles for these demonstrations, tells Tania.
Spent more than a year of change in the law, he also worries about the supply. No one has complained of the lack of S-50 diesel, purer, essential for the new engines work well. Even Presidents of automakers, such as cuts, of MAN, met with the Director of the national petroleum Agency (ANP) to make sure that the new fuel would not in the posts.
In addition, the carrier left to find weird talk Arla 32, name the solution of urea applied in the exhaust system to decrease the pollution emitted by the vehicle. Arla 32 is now a household name for transporters. Both the JSL, logistics company and one of the largest customers of Scania, asked the automaker to ensure the product at some point of Argentina, facilitating the supply of trucks circulating by MERCOSUR.
But not everything is perfect. To receive complaints about the performance of new trucks, Volvo has analyzed the products used and discovered that part of Arla sold on the market was out of specification. "This may deteriorate the catalyst," says Volvo's Sales Director, Bernardo Fedalto. According to him, the company is committed to a campaign for the Arla approved by Inmetro receive a stamp. The product outside the specifications it costs half of another. The Arla recommended can increase the cost of supply, but manufacturers ensure that efficiency pays off.
If efficiency is confirmed as a point in favour of the expansion of the sales, the market will begin to experience a natural fleet renewal. Without a rigorous inspection law, old vehicles are still running and the country is faced today with two extremes. On the other hand, the BRAC fumacentas, which refer to a time when Brazil was seen as a backward country. On the other hand, the new emissions law puts modern vehicles on the streets, efficiently and cost effectively support the developed countries.
So far, run around the country about 170 thousand trucks that meet the phase 7 of Proconve (pollution control Program for vehicles), the Brazilian version of what the market already has come the call by the European name of Euro 5. Is very little in a fleet which reaches 1.5 million. Nine years and ten months is the average age of the fleet of trucks. But, as anyone who travels the country already noticed, there are cases of vehicles with 20 and even 30 years on the road.
Accumulated sales in 2013 give the false impression that there was no recovery. After the fall of 19% in 2012, the truck market this year still registers retraction around 8% in comparison with the same period last year. This is due to a comparison with a time when the pace of sales was accelerated. The change of legislation allowed the sale of stocks of previous vehicle generation, the so-called Euro 3, during the first quarter of 2012.
Leoncini, Scania says that many carriers not exchanged the fleet to buy time and understand the technology change, in addition to prove the availability of fuel. He expects those customers appear now. But not everyone is so optimistic. Oswaldo Garden, Ford says that demand focuses more on extra-pesados segment, favored by record crop. "We don't realize the same rate on vehicles intended for the other sectors," he says.