Vehicle rental company Sixt is gearing up for a boom in demand for commercial vehicle rental by appointing Daniel Marasch as board member for Van & Truck.

The business estimates that the commercial vehicle and truck rental market in the USA and Europe alone is worth more than 10 billion US-dollars (£7.34bn).

By creating a new management division, Sixt is expecting “substantial and profitable” growth in the commercial vehicle sector.

Marasch is a former board member of the Lidl trading company, he brings expertise in both international expansion and in setting up sustainable logistics and supply chains. 

Erich Sixt, chairman of the board, Sixt SE, said: “As one of the world’s most successful mobility providers, we aim to become a market leading player in the European Van & Truck rental business in the long term, while cornering relevant market shares in the USA in the medium term.

“We are looking forward to working with Daniel Marasch and together we will do our utmost to achieve this goal. By establishing the Van & Truck management division, Sixt is creating the necessary entrepreneurial scope to focus on the division’s global expansion – on an equal footing with the successful mobility sector.

“Sixt is also responding to the increasing importance of the Van & Truck product sector, which has proved to be a stable, strong-selling constant in our mobility portfolio, especially during the Covid-19 crisis.” 

In recent years, Sixt has recorded steady, profitable growth in the Van & Truck sector, and in the German-speaking world, it has established itself as one of the leading rental companies for vans and trucks under 7.5 tons.

Sixt says there is “huge potential” in this sector in the upcoming years, and given the booming online business, expects a continued rise in demand for commercial vehicles to deliver parcels.

The business aims to digitise the Van & Truck rental business with its ONE mobility platform and smart vehicle connectivity via telematics.