Since the launch of the Scania Finance business in 2020, the entity says that it has written up loan agreements for more than 300 new trucks and trailers on New Zealand roads.
Australia and New Zealand Scania Finance director Wayne Thomason says the volume of vehicles represents a significant percentage of Scania customers who have taken advantage of this service in the last two years.
“We are on track to finance far more than this number within the next 12 months, as more customers take the opportunity to obtain solution finance packaging,” Thomason says.
He says one of Scania Finance’s key points of difference is providing customers with the confidence that the approved financing will still be in place, subject to minor re-checks, when the vehicle is ready for delivery; a major consideration given the current industry-wide requirement for long lead-in ordering times and supply-chain challenges.
It was a feature of the financing not lost on Craig Booth of Palmerston North’s Booth’s Transport when ordering multiple Scania trucks in recent months.
“Being able to arrange financing within the Scania operating system undoubtedly made the entire process of ordering and right through to delivery, significantly easier and more efficient,” Booth says.
“Scania Finance spent considerable time understanding our business and growth plans. That gave us a lot of peace of mind knowing they really understood our financing requirements and had designed a bespoke package that we were very happy with,” he says.
Thomason says the business model represents much more than just offering finance and insurance on a truck – it is about providing total solutions to their customers, helping to unlock their business’ potential and being a trusted adviser.
“As Scania’s market share and business continues to grow across New Zealand, this tailored financing and insurance opportunity felt like an obvious extension of our service.”
“The core appeal of Scania’s insurance offer is uptime. Ensuring that vehicles are back on the road as soon as possible after an accident, as well as loss prevention services to avoid an accident in the first place. It all helps safeguard the owner’s business and revenues.”
Thomason says Scania was also focussed on supporting its number one market share for heavy-duty trucks in New Zealand by investing directly in its finance sales team, creating nation-wide business development manager roles.
“Having this talented team on the ground working directly with our customers to help fund and insure their new Scania, and in most cases the trailer that runs with that vehicle, has proven to be one of the most valuable benefits of the entire Scania Finance model – particularly for our clients,” he says.
