"The proof is in the pudding"
That is according to Alfie Barker from Ireland, who is responsible for Kraker sales in Ireland (Setanta) and the UK (TrailerTec UK). Alfie and his team have a unique method of introducing potential customers to K-Force moving floor trailers. "Interested? Use it for a month, try out the trailer and then we would like to hear if you want to continue together. Because," Alfie believes, "you will only know if you like something when you try it yourself.”
"Obviously, this is only something you do if you fully believe in the products yourself," Alfie begins. "I don't believe in selling a trailer based on a contract. Let the people experience for themselves what it is like to work with K-Force and then they will make a decision based on their own experience. Nine times out of ten, the feedback is positive and that leads to a sale."
Setanta and TrailerTec UK
Setanta is a well-known name in the Irish world of transport. "We are the largest truck distributor in our region. It's not rocket science: there is a vehicle behind every truck. We therefore thought it was a good idea to partner up with a number of vehicle manufacturers," Alfie says. In 2016, Setanta added moving floor trailers to its product range. These were not yet Kraker trailers, but another brand. “When that collaboration ended, we wanted to remain active in the moving floor market, as we already had a fair share of it by now. So we were looking for a good, solid brand to fill that gap," Alfie says. And they found this brand in Kraker Trailers.
"During a trade fair, we got into a conversation with Rico Koops, who was responsible for the marketing and new business at that time. That conversation came at exactly the right time for both parties. Harry Nash, the owner of Setanta, was looking to expand into the UK. Rico had already set up a TrailerTec branch there, but it was not running smoothly yet. Rico, Harry and I had many back and forth conversations on strategy and expectations. In the end, we agreed to offer Kraker vehicles under the Setanta name in Ireland. That was a more logical approach than pushing aside Setanta's name recognition in the relatively small Irish market and setting up a TrailerTec organisation there too. We became partners within the existing TrailerTec UK organisation," Alfie continues.
"The UK was already acquainted with the Kraker brand," says Alfie. "In Ireland, it was a bit different. Harry and I believed in the power of Kraker trailers and made substantial investments to set up a good sales force. We bought a number of moving floor trailers so that we could supply customers from stock. We managed to recruit a salesman who learned all the ins and outs of moving floor trailers. A truck salesman also used to sell the vehicles for behind the trailer, but with Kraker, we decided to tackle that differently right away." The fact that this approach is paying off is clear from the rest of Alfie's story. "In 2023, we met our Irish target and we are very optimistic about the future. We have also set clear targets in Ireland and in the UK for 2024"
Alfie's tone becomes a lot more serious when we dig deeper into the challenges in the UK market. "I'm not concerned about Ireland, but the UK market is a different story. There's a real challenge there. Brexit did no us any favours either, but it's a challenge we are happy to take on."
Comprehensive demo fleet
Setanta has an extensive fleet of demo vehicles, including two K-Forces. Those demos are used to allow customers to experience the convenience of a K-Force for themselves. After about six months, those demos will be replaced by new ones. Setanta then sells the demos at a discounted price, as they are still practically new vehicles, in perfect working order. "This way, we make sure our demos are always up to date, with the incorporation of the latest developments. And yes, if you buy such a demo, you get a perfect trailer at an attractive price.”
K-Force adapted for the Irish market
You are talking about a few hundred kilometres as the crow flies. Yet that distance ensures that the trailers going to Ireland have to meet some specific requirements. Alfie explains: "In Ireland, the road network, for example, is different from the mainland, as we have more rain and wind also plays a big role. This is on top of the volume we transport in Ireland. In the UK, we drive with high volumes, and legislation allows us to load 2 tonnes more in Ireland. It turned out that K-Force's roof system, which is fine in general conditions, was having trouble with that extreme rain and wind. We submitted this to Kraker and the After Sales staff from Axel came to see what problems this posed in practice. A solution was therefore developed. That is what is so unique about Kraker: contributing ideas and ensuring that the customer can use the trailer perfectly in all (weather) conditions."
"Otherwise K-Force is doing just fine on our roads," Alfie continues. "We are told by carriers that they are amazed at how easily the trailer follows behind the truck. This is something that is not so evident with other brands."
Invested in extensive service workshop
Alfie explains that Harry Nash invested in a well-equipped service workshop in Dublin to service trucks and trailers of all brands. The mechanics have noticed a big difference between Kraker K-Forces and moving floor trailers of other brands. "With other brands, our mechanics often carry out extensive welding repairs. With K-Force, they never actually have any work on the chassis. We therefore prefer to see K-Forces in our workshop, because that generally involves regular maintenance," laughs Alfie.
"Sunny" future in Ireland and UK
Despite being at odds with the weather conditions as Alfie described them, he does see a bright future for the cooperation and marketing of Kraker moving floor trailers in Ireland and the UK. "We have the right product, knowledge of the market and the determination to make something of it," Alfie concludes.