6 key takeaways from Leaptrucks Goods Transporters Sentiment Survey

The corona virus-triggered pandemic has had a devastating impact on the commercial vehicle (CV) industry. To understand this impact up close, Leaptrucks, one of the largest marketplaces for buying and selling used trucks and buses, conducted a detailed survey of goods transport operators. This article by Kaushik Narayan, CEO and Founder, Leaptrucks, summarises the issues and challenges operators have had to face and highlights their expectation of a quick economic rebound

- Kaushik Narayan

The commercial vehicle industry has been one of the worst hit sectors in the ongoing pandemic. The lockdown imposed in March crippled the industry when only essential goods were allowed to be transported until early May. While subsequent lockdowns provided some allowances to transportation, state-level restrictions continued to hamper free movement of goods and further extended its misery. Leaptrucks recently conducted a regional survey to understand the sentiment among goods transporters.

The survey captures the major roadblocks they have faced since the beginning of the pandemic. It also analyses the impact of demand and freight rates on the industry. And most importantly, it captures their expectation of market recovery. While the survey was limited to three states in South India, most of the learnings are applicable to goods transporters across the country. The conclusions are summarised under six key takeaways from the Leaptrucks Goods Transporter Sentiment Survey.

Respondents Surveyed

Over 450 goods transporters across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were interviewed for this survey. They include single truck operators, lower and upper retail and large fleet operators. They own small, medium or heavy commercial vehicles courier | White goods | Automobile carriers Over 26% of respondents belonged to the construction material segment and 24% from the fruits and vegetables segment. Automobile carriers and e-commerce segments had relatively lower representation of 1% of respondents. The segmental selection also varied across states. This survey excluded passenger transportation.

Survey Results Impact on Market Demand