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The Kalmar Magnum 4x2 termi­nal tractors – formerly manufactured in Texas – have since early 2003 been manufactured in Kalmar’s Tampere, Finland plant as well as the new Kalmar assembly plant in Shanghai. Timo Matikaincn, sales manager for terminal tractors, explains that this diversification gives Kalmar the scope to market its more complete product range in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Most manufacturers report good demand from the Middle East and Persian Gulf and the hope is that this will expand further when – and some say if – the Iraq situation settles down. The hope is that, because of the Amer­ican influence, terminal tractors will become the favoured mode of terminal operation.

German-based Mafi reiterates the slow start of 2003, but in recent months an upswing has seen deliveries of tractors to Italy, Nigeria and 12 units delivered to Greece. With much of the world outside Europe requiring US dollar sales, the current rate of exchange is not attractive to European manu­facturers. However, as Mafi’s general sales manager, Burkhard Koriath, points out: “Every European manufacturer has to face this same situation.”

Italian producer CVS Ferrari manufac­turs terminal tractors in addition to a range of container handling equipment. Export manager Paolo Groppi says that, unlike other manufacturers, 40% of business is for ro-ro tractors and 60% for lo-lo operations. He claims that CVS Ferrari will sell 120 tractors but, like others, bemoans the current euro-dollar ratio.

CVS Ferrari recently delivered 10 tractors to the Port of Sines in Portugal. The port operator intended to purchase lower-powered tractors but, having seen the CVS machine, capable of handling a six-trailer train, placed an order for the big trac­tors even though they were not intended to be used in train configuration.

Technical innovation in terminal tractors tends to be steady and incremental rather than dramatic, but both Terberg and Mafi have projects under way which will be announced in the early months of next year.

The switch over the past year or so from manual to electronic transmission is one that most manufacturers have made. George Ter­berg says that a lot of his customers still prefer the simple, straightforward and easy to main­tain manual job. When Alli­son, the major supplier of transmissions for terminal tractors, discontinued production of manual in favour of electronic, Terberg pur­chased a large number of manual transmis­sions so that they can continue – for a while at least – to meet customers’ requirements.

Vocabulary

formerly - ранее

diversification – многообразие

scope – возможность

market – продвигать на рынке

range – ряд; сфера

settle down – успокоиться

influence – влияние

favoured – привилегированный

mode – способ

reiterate – повторять

upswing – улучшение, подъём

current – текущий

rate of exchange – валютный курс

attractive – привлекательный

point out – указывать

face – столкнуться с

unlike – в отличие от

claim – заявлять

bemoan – оплакивать, стонать

ratio – курс

purchase – приобретать

capable – способный

though – хотя

tend – иметь тенденцию, склонность

configuration – схема

steady – устойчивый

incremental – возрастающий; прибыльный

rather than – скорее, чем; а не

under way – на ходу

switch – переход, переключение

manual – ручной

straightforward – прямой

maintain – поддерживать, содержать

discontinue – прекращать

favour – польза

for a while – на время

at least – по крайней мере

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14