VOLVO VOWS TO KEEP WACOL WORKING

As is often the way of events with a high degree of commercial sensitivity, casual whispers from customers and dealers rather than candid comment from corporate insiders were the first hints of Volvo Group Australia’s (VGA) intention to import completely built-up (CBU) trucks from factories in Saudi Arabia and Sweden.

But whatever the source of the information, the reason for such a move isn’t particularly difficult to appreciate. COVID! That one word says it all and while all brands in almost all industries have been hammered to some extent by the impacts of the pandemic, VGA has perhaps been hammered harder than most in the supply of new trucks to a booming road freight sector.

It’s no secret that Volvo’s share of the heavy-duty truck market slid significantly in 2021 and while managing to hang onto second place behind market leader Kenworth, delivery