Scania’s Finance arm responded to cyclone-impacted customers in the Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay regions by immediately triggering industry support hardship programmes.
This included providing urgent payment relief as a full assessment of customers’ impacts were made, and giving ongoing longer-term payment relief as businesses work through future cashflow.
Since the launch of Scania Finance in 2020, more than 450 new trucks and trailers have been financed onto New Zealand roads.
“It was simply the right thing to do,” said Wayne Thomason, Scania Finance director for Australia and New Zealand.
“Reaching out to our customers within the affected areas to firstly make sure they were ok, and then discussing ways we could support them,” he said.
“Scania Finance has always been about much more than just offering finance and insurance on a truck,” said Thomason.
“It’s about providing total solutions to our customers, helping to unlock their business’ potential and being a trusted adviser. We can’t say or do that without also making sure we help out and make a difference when our customers are most in need.”
Since the launch of Scania Finance in 2020, more than 450 new trucks and trailers have been financed onto New Zealand roads.
“The volume of vehicles represents a very encouraging and significant percentage of Scania customers who have taken advantage of this service in just the last two years,” said Thomason.
“The good news is we are on track to finance far more than this number within the next 12 months, as more customers take the opportunity to obtain true solution finance packaging.”
Thomason said 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 actually ready for delivery; a major consideration given the current industry-wide requirement for long lead-in ordering times and supply-chain and logistic challenges.
Thomason added that as Scania’s market share and business continues to grow across New Zealand, this tailored financing and insurance opportunity felt like an obvious and needed extension of the company’s service.
“For example, 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.”
Scania was also focussed on supporting its number one market share for heavy 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 and highlights of the entire Scania Finance model – particularly for our clients,” said Thomason.
