How to Deal with the Farm Buggy Shortage
July 28th, 2022
Waiting on a New Farm Buggy? Here’s How to Deal with the Farm Buggy Shortage
If you’re waiting on a new farm buggy to arrive, or if you’re waiting on a part you need to repair your farm buggy, you’re not alone. Along with many other countries, Australia is currently experiencing major shipping delays on many consumer goods, especially vehicles, such as cars, trucks, and buggies, as well car parts.
These delays are particularly affecting operations like farms that depend on buggies to perform work around a large property. Here’s why these delays are happening, and what you can do to fill the gap while you wait for your buggy or buggy part.
Why Are So Many Experiencing Farm Buggy Shipping Delays?
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we’ve all become accustomed to some level of shipping delays. However, after the initial lockdowns in 2020, for a while we saw many of those delays ease as the world slowly moved back in the direction of normalcy.
Recently, though, delays have quickly worsened. A big contributing factor is the 2022 Shanghai COVID outbreak, which caused China to lockdown the city. Shanghai is a major hub for commercial shipping and home to the world’s largest commercial port. Lockdowns and COVID-related restrictions at have caused a pileup of thousands of cargo ships waiting off the coast of China to be allowed to dock. COVID lockdowns and restrictions at other Chinese ports, as well as at ports in the U.S. and other countries, haven’t helped.
COVID restrictions and increased (since 2020) demand for many consumer goods have also thrown supply chains into disarray, contributing to shortages of parts and products and long wait times. In particular, we’re seeing a shortage of semiconductors, which are found in many consumer goods, including vehicles like buggies.
With all these disruptions, Australian container ports are also struggling as they deal with the trickle-down effects of global congestion and delays. Here at 1800Buggies, we’re experiencing this firsthand as we’ve had new buggies, company vehicles, and trucks on order since September 2021. Many new cars and trucks now have wait times of 12-18 months, and larger Kenworth trucks even have a staggering 2-3 year wait time.
What Can I Do About the Farm Buggy Shortage?
If you’re a farmer, council, or government department stuck waiting on a new farm buggy or on a replacement part for your buggy, you may think the only thing you can do is wait. This actually isn’t true.
At 1800BUGGIES, we already have a stable of buggies that can fill the gap while you wait for your new vehicle to arrive. We offer a variety of buggies, including full-size 4X4 diesel UTVs. These rugged vehicles make perfect farm buggy rentals with their heavy-duty suspension, 900 kg towing capacity, and diff locks that help you take care of any task on any terrain. Our farm buggy rentals have automatic transmission, headlights, roll over protection to keep you and your workers safe, and offer plenty of room in the back for hauling equipment and supplies.
We have 2 and 3-person diesel utility buggies available for rent, including the Kubota RTVX900, the Kawasaki Mule 4010, and the Landboss 800, as well as 2-person unleaded buggies like the Kawasaki Mule 610, CF Moto 550, and Landboss 1100.
Why Rent a Farm Buggy?
When you rent a farm buggy from 1800BUGGIES, you get access to high-quality, working equipment that puts you back in the game and helps you achieve full productivity even if you’re still waiting on a buggy purchase or repair. No wait time on our buggies helps farms continue with day-to-day operations and special projects despite the global supply chain chaos.
Our farm buggy rentals are kept in top shape and you never have to worry about maintenance or repairs. If the buggy you’ve rented requires servicing, we’ll replace it with another vehicle within 24 hours, so you can rely on always having a vehicle at the ready when you need it.
If you’ve decided to wait on a farm buggy purchase because of shipping and supply chain delays, a farm buggy rental is also a great option. One advantage of renting a buggy is that it gives you the flexibility to switch models (it’s easy to upgrade later to a more powerful buggy, for instance, if you decide you need greater towing capacity), and does away with the need to make a large upfront investment. In fact, with prices on most goods spiking due to inflation and COVID-related factors, renting equipment may be the smartest thing you can do right now, as it protects you from having to make a large financial outlay during a time of peaking prices.
Renting from 1800BUGGIES
If you need a buggy to keep your farm running while you wait on a new vehicle or part, we can help. Contact the 1800BUGGIES team to find out more about the types of buggies available and to discuss what buggy would best suit your needs.