RCB adjusts to Brazil challenges

Brazilian rental company RCB Plataformas experiencing a mixed reaction from customers as they come to terms with the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Marcello Plonski, who is manager of a branch close to Sao Paulo city, with 350 MEWPs in its fleet, said like many other countries across the world, the country is already experiencing a slowdown and a number of customers are asking to terminate their contracts and asking for payment delays. But he adds, “It is a bit of a strange situation because, we have customers who are still demanding and asking for new rentals.” However, the situation is getting worse day-by-day. “We are getting many requests to return equipment”.

The company has created a strict safety policy and advised its workers that if they suffer from any COVID-19 symptoms, they should leave work. Some workers have take vaction leave, where they can, ”and we are picking up those employees who were coming to work on public transportation”.

The reality, added Plonski, is that no one knows how long the crises will last or how bad it will get. “But I cannot see any growth in our market now, it is not a great scenario to invest. The companies that are now working half shift could and should take this time to perform all maintenance that they need.”