Mercedes is the latest to cut lead times

Mercedes-Benz has cut the time it takes to deliver its heaviest trucks by four months. A year ago, the lead time for such trucks was 12 months but this has now been cut to seven or eight months in most cases, it says. This means that anybody ordering an Actros or Axor now can expect delivery by the beginning of the second quarter of 2009. For lighter commercial vehicles, delivery would be "soon".

Mercedes spokesman Ian Norwell says: "Broadly speaking, the lower the GVW, the shorter the lead times become, but it's been that way for some time now." Norwell adds that the area where lead time has come down the most sharply is construction vehicles and this is because "demand is slowing, rather than supply increasing".

Similarly, truck orders are a little down on this time last year, "but only a little". Other manufacturers to have cut lead times this year include Iveco, which has a long-term strategy to increase its share of the UK heavy truck market.