The truck industry recorded a strong result in March with total sales for the month of 3297 just 150 units shy of the same month in the record breaking 2018 results. But there is some reason for optimism and postitivity.
Significantly heavy duty sales were up on the result of March last year with 1185 trucks sold in the sector last month against 1175 in March last year.
While the market tempered a little in January and February the March result shows that most makers have strong order books and while we may not have another record year sales will still be buoyant in the industry through most of the year ahead.
CEO of the Truck Industry Council, Tony McMullan, said March sales were consistent with the trends seen in all heavy vehicle segments year-to-date, while medium and light duty and light van segments are tracking around six to seven per cent down on 2018 results.
“The surprise continues to be the heavy duty sector which is in-line, or slightly ahead of the record sales that we saw for this segment last year,” said McMullan.
“It should be noted that even with the mid and bottom end of the market softening, truck sales to the end of March are the second best on record. Given the potential financial market volatility that is typically associated with a federal election, the current heavy vehicle market’s strength and resilience will no doubt be tested over the course of the next few months.” McMullan concluded.
The heavy duty segment was in positive territory for the quarter with 2,915 Heavy sales year-to-date, which is a meagre 0.4 per cent (12 trucks) increase on the first quarter in 2018 and it was a new record for heavy duty sales for a first quarter.
Medium duty posted reasonable sales in March with 664 trucks sold which is down 10.5 per cent or 78 units, on March last year. The medium duty tally for the first quarter was 1,651 trucks which was down by 6.6 per cent or 117 trucks on the 2018 first quarter.
In light duty saw sales slide 5.3 percent or 53 trucks in March compared to March last year with 941 trucks delivered for the month, while for the quarter, light duty sales were down 6.6 percent, or 169 trucks on the first three months of 2018.
Van sales in March totalled 506 units, down 5.8 per cent, or 31 vans, on March 2018 while the first quarter tally of 1,346 vans is down 5.8 per cent or 83 vans on the first quarter 2018.
