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Iveco UK boss Henk van Leuven has promised he will more than double the company's share of the heavy truck sector by 2011.

The Stralis currently commands just 6% of the UK tractor market, but van Leuven says this will grow to at least 15% within the next four years. He also has ambitious plans for the Eurocargo and Daily  ranges, which he says will expand from 25% to 30% and from 10% to 15% respectively within the same period.

"We will motivate our dealer network to come onboard with heavy trucks," he told the UK press in Amsterdam last week. "We let them lose attention on heavy trucks. But the Stralis is key to our success."

Van Leuven says he has approached every dealer in the UK and laid out his "vision for heavy trucks". Each was given a menu with various options, and told to tick whichever boxes they wanted in order for him to gauge what direction they wish to travel in. "We are currently processing the answers," he says.

Although dealers will clearly be encouraged to embrace van Leuven's vision for heavy trucks, he confirms that there will still be a place for dealers wishing to specialize in 7.5 tonnes and below. "I don't think anyone will leave the network," he says, "in fact, there are already people knocking on our door."

These apparently include a number of Scania  dealers who wish to sell the Daily van.

Van Leuven also heads up the Belgian and Dutch operations, both of which have seen noticeable growth in heavy truck sales since he took the helm in 2004.

Stralis sales in the Netherlands have grown by more than 200% in three years to give it a 7.1% market share. It's a similar story in Belgium, which has grown from 4.5% to 9.8% in the same period.