Despite the high acquisition costs, motor graders will continue to level surfaces within the next few years. The data from Technavio says that the global market continues to grow. From 2018 to 2022, it can achieve a compound annual growth rate of 5%. At the end of the forecast period, the market value will reach over $1.20 billion. The Americas will still have the most significant market share at almost 40%. The Asia-Pacific region, though, closely trails behind.
Construction, Population Growth Drive Demand
Two factors propel the growth of motor graders in Australia: population growth and construction. Both almost always go hand in hand. The Land Down Under is undergoing a population boom. In 2017, the average annual change reached 1.6%, beating Canada and the United States. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealed a rapid increase of 17.9% over the last ten years. Overall, close to 25 million people now call Australia their home. By 2056, the population can almost double, according to ABS.
Australia banks on its significant land mass to support the growth. About 63% of it has been modified for human use, including agriculture or farming. Some of these areas, though, might eventually be converted to residential areas to support the increase of residents with the help of heavy equipment such as motor graders.
The influx of people, whether through migration or natural births, will also boost residential construction and new builders and contractors to meet the demand. These can drive the demand for driveway grader rental. It allows startups to use high-quality heavy equipment without expensive purchasing costs.
Development in Technology
Motor graders themselves undergo significant positive changes to make them even more valuable for the users and the industry.
The M Series motor graders from Caterpillar, for example, now feature a modular design. This level of flexibility makes them suitable for a growing variety of landscapes and dimensions.
They are also safer for the operators. The new breed offers manual and joystick controls, which can reduce the overuse of the arms and hands by as much as 78%. In the process, they help reduce the feelings of fatigue and the likelihood of musculoskeletal injuries and accidents.
The manufacturers also upgraded the motor grader cab. They already feature a connecting rear window to increase visibility. They operate with Cat Detect Vision system to decrease the chances of collisions and errors.
Wear and tear is one of the persistent problems of motor graders. They tend to live shorter than the other types of heavy equipment. The new models aim to correct it. The more modern Cat engines, for instance, possess more than 30% longer rebuild life. They are easier to assemble or disassemble.
These improvements ensure users can anticipate reliable performance and higher efficiency or productivity whether they hire or buy the motor graders. In turn, they translate to a better business proposition and customer service.
Motor graders are also dependable types of equipment in mining operations and other applications that require levelling or smoothing lands. They are the superstars, though, in construction. They help support the rapidly increasing Australian population growth through faster and easier land conversion.