Eastern Europe trailer markets strengthened in 2H 2017

Poland, Russia and Turkey, the three largest trailer markets in Eastern Europe, all rallied in the second half of 2017 to push total trailer demand for the region back over 90,000 units for the first time in 10 years, according to Clear International data, which adds: “The strong demand will carry forward into 2018 so that the market will grow by another 4.0 per cent”.

Russia witnessed growth in trailer demand of over 60 per cent in 2017 and will be the main contributor to growth in 2018 as well. Almost 30,000 trailers have been added to the Russian forecast for the five years to 2022. This will take Russia back to the level of demand last seen in 2008.

Poland has been the largest market for trailers in the region since 2016 as Russia and Turkey faltered. However Russia is expected to retake the number one spot from 2020. Turkey’s recovery is likely to be more gradual despite the fact that it was the market with the quickest recovery from the 2009 recession.

By the middle of the 2020s the region will have matched the record level of trailer demand seen in 2007 with the prospect of further growth in the long term.

Whereas the demand for road transport in Western Europe has yet to recover to the levels that were typical before the 2009 recession, in Eastern Europe both domestic and international road transport demand continues to grow every year.

Gary Beecroft, managing director of Clear commented: “We will see growth in East European trailer demand in four of the next five years. This will result in trailer sales exceeding 100,000 units again by 2021.”