What if the Van Hool file is actually the tip of the iceberg and reflects a wider trend in the European market for drawn equipment? Various factors today ensure that medium -sized manufacturers are becoming increasingly under more pressure – especially in the segments of cover trucks, cooling trailers and closed trailers.
In a generally shrinking market, almost all European manufacturers lost ground in 2024. Partly thanks to planned replacement cycles, the prospects for 2025 are slightly better, but the economic uncertainty lingers like a dark cloud above the sector.
According to ING specialists in 2024, a considerable number of orders from trailers was not implemented. As a result, several manufacturers – including Schmitz and Krone – were forced to introduce temporary unemployment. Everything together shrink the market last year by around 15 %.
Yet ING does not expect any further shrinkage in 2025, despite the slow recovery of the economy. The reason? Among other things, the falling interest rates could provide a light recovery.
Vecto extends to trailers
Since 1 July 2024, an important new obligation applies to all manufacturers of trailers: just like their colleagues at the trucks, they must now report the COâ‚‚ emissions of their products to the European Commission. After all, the dynamic properties of a trailer influence the consumption of the pulling vehicle. There is an exception for small constructors: companies that produce fewer than 100 units per year are not covered by these regulations.
“The new obligation relates to all models with a cube -like shape,” explains Wim Calcoen. This expert represents Agoria within the CLCCR, the International Association of Carrosseriebouwers-Constructors. “Those are the covered trailers, closed trailers and coolers. In most countries-except in Italy, Wallonia and Brussels-Walking Floors are excluded from the Vecto rules because they have no fixed roof. We also try to achieve an exemption for double-deckers, since it is twice as much pallets.
All other trailer categories are fully exempt, because it would be technically too complex to correctly calculate their indirect COâ‚‚ emissions and, moreover, particularly difficult to lower those values.
In the first instance, it is only about simulating that ‘COâ‚‚ impact’ by entering all kinds of data in the VECTO tool. That data, collected between July 1, 2024 and 30 June 2025, must then yield a reference value per manufacturer. And in a third phase, those same constructors will have to lower their average COâ‚‚ emissions by 10 % by 2030.
A difficult objective to be achieved
“For the time being, the committee therefore mainly collects a lot of data. After the first year, it will record an average reference value per vehicle category, and therefore not per constructor. If that value is at 50 for a certain category, it must come to 45 in 2030,” explains Wim Calcoen.
The race towards lower emissions has therefore begun. Lighter constructions, tires with low rolling resistance, aerodynamic adjustments such as flaps and skirts, and a reduced suspension: these are all strategies with which manufacturers try to improve the VECTO result.
According to Wim Calcoen, all these measures will increase the cost of a trailer by 10 to 20 %, depending on the model. “But that is nothing compared to the fines that the manufacturers risk if they don’t reach the reduction objective of –10 %.”
Yet it remains particularly difficult to achieve that objective. Even with all measures together, the profit is often limited to around 8 %. “Without using an axis with energy recovery, it becomes very difficult,” confirms Wim Calcoen. Moreover, those axes are still waiting for a coherent regulatory framework at European level. As a result, they cannot yet be approved in series.
In addition to the cost, there are also operational consequences. The tires with low rolling resistance with which new trailers are equipped will wear out faster. And it has to be said: flaps and other aerodynamic fittings do not really convinced the users of trailers of their firmness or ease of use. As an example, Wim Calcoen mentions the Zijskirts that can cover a pallet box.
Market concentration
Does this all mean that the market will concentrate strongly in the coming years? That is probably and that movement has been going on for a while. In the recent past, Schmitz Cargobull Berger took over Ecotrail and got into the capital of the Polish manufacturer GT Trailers, while it also got hold of Hool. Krone invested in Schwarzmüller (Austria), Wielton took over four brands in four years (Langendorf, Guillen, Fruehauuf and Viberti), The Reefer Group in July 2024 in the French bodybuilder Aubineau, and also changed ownership.
Is there only a future for very large groups that build more than 50,000 trailers per year? Not necessary, says Wim Calcoen: “There is indeed a lot of movement on the market, but I do not believe that the specialized players and small local manufacturers will immediately disappear.” A reassurance for the last Belgian producers!
