TRANSPORT & VAN Management – ​​Special Services

Is the glass half full or half empty? This is the traditional question in many debates and we can rightly ask this question when reading the results of our major annual analysis of the financial performance of truck dealers. Half full – the positive view, in other words – because the indicators are resolutely green. For example, the turnover has increased by 10.9% and the added value by 6%. At the same time, the workforce has grown by an average of 1.07%. On the other hand, the glass is half empty if we compare the progress in the turnover for dealers with the increase in registration figures for heavy commercial vehicles over the same period. This increase amounted to 18.5%. Is this disruption really only due to the direct sales achieved by the importer? Possible, but at the same time impossible to discover on the basis of the balance sheet figures. Are the dealers satisfied? There is no doubt about this for the dealers who were honoured during the second edition of Best of VAN (an organisation of TRANSPORTMEDIA with the support of Touring, Febiac and Traxio). This event brought together more than 500 specialists from the world of light commercial vehicles. We awarded nine Best Dealers (the best dealer per brand, discoverable in this issue) and one Super Best Dealer (the best dealer of all brands combined). After going through the files handed over by the 27 candidates and attending the presentations that the nine Best Dealers had to give to the jury, I can only be impressed by the professionalism of this 2018 edition. With quality presentations, defended with enthusiasm and seriousness, in most cases by the managers of the dealerships themselves. With beautiful stories, such as the one told without hesitation by Alain Jacquart, the boss of Lens Motor (Renault Motors), who came to explain how he brilliantly brought a virtually bankrupt company back to life a few years ago. Finally, we would like to point out the magnificent podium for the Super Best Dealer: Group Jam (Mercedes-Benz), followed by Decaigny (Opel) and Valckenier Group (Renault). What more could we ask for, unless it were a 2019 edition with at least an equal level!