Truck sales figures for March have just been released and by most measures the industry has again seen strong results, particularly compared with February figures. The market has with continued buoyant figures by T&TA’s assessment across light, medium and the heavy-duty sectors according to the latest Truck Industry Council T-Mark sales statistics.
The smaller end of the market continues to go gangbusters with total March volume of 909 units for the month up 13.7 per cent or 110 units on February sales.
“For the past two years, Australia’s new truck market has been operating at two very distinct levels, with record – or near record – growth being recorded at the smaller end of the market while the heavy-duty truck segment has seen year-on-year falls in new truck sales,” TIC has said.
TIC reported that 2,669 new trucks were sold in March up 4 per cent on February while year-to-date the total truck market has seen 6775 trucks sold for the first three months of the year.
March heavy duty sales were up 18.5 per cent on the February figures with 799 heavy duty trucks sold during the month.
The medium-duty sector again proved strong registering 531 units in March, up 7.9 per cent on February’s tally of 492 trucks with year to date sales for the first quarter registering 1373 units.
After strong figures in recent months the Light-duty van market was a unusually soft in March with 434 sales, down 126 units or 22.5 per cent on the February results.
Isuzu continued as overall market leader with an extremely strong result registering total sales of 564 units, a 17.7 per cent increase over February 2015 to again claim almost a quarter of all truck sales for the month. Its nearest rival Hino was 291units shy with total sales of 373 units for the month. After three months Isuzu has 1673 sales,almost twice the volume and market share of Hino with 888 units for the first quarter.
In Heavy-duty Kenworth continues to rule leading the market with 157 units for the month, almost line ball with February result. Similarly number two in heavy duty, Volvo moved 132 trucks for the month, up 8 units on its February result. Isuzu was third in heavy with 96 sales, Mack having a strong month to be fourth with 65 sales and Freightliner fifth with 53 registrations just ahead of its stable mate Mercedes Benz on 51.
With sales increasing across the key sectors again in march it will be interesting to see what spin TIC puts on the situation but the reality is the industry appears to be in reasonable health any way you cut it.