The booming start to 2021 for the Australian truck market continued apace in February with the overall market up almost 11 per cent on the same month in 2020.
By the end of the month 4767 heavy commercial vehicles were sold in Australia during the month, 476 more than February 2020, the last month before pandemic really hit the country.
The sales numbers so far places the YTD tally only marginally behind the YTD sales for the all time record year of 2018 further underlining the bull market so far this year.
The three Japanese brands again had stellar results with Isuzu selling up a storm to lead the market on 714 trucks to take a 25.5 per cent share, while equally Hino had a strong result with 447 sales and 16.3 per cent share, and Fuso grabbed 301 sales for 10.9 per cent market share.
Between them the Japanese brands carved out better than half the market with 53.3 per cent of the sales, thanks to the big demand for medium and light duty trucks to satiate the hunger for home delivery and distribution trucks.
In Heavy Duty Kenworth led the pack with 163 sales, 26 units ahead of its result in February last year and 54 trucks more than both Volvo and Isuzu who tied for second in the heavy market with 109 sales each. Mercedes was fourth with 84 sales edging Scania with 78 units with a pack of other brands all recording between 41 for UD and 19 units for Western Star. Freightliner dipped back from its pleasing numbers in January to sell just 22.
Overall Heavy Duty Sales were also up with total sales of 805 heavy trucks for the month compared with 777 in February 2020.
Light Duty was almost off the Richter Scale with 1011 sales in the sector for the month, up 35 per cent on February 2020.
Isuzu had a strangle hold on the sector moving 400 trucks to take 39.8 per cent share, ahead of Hino with 251 sales and 24.8 percent share and Fuso in third with 176 sales and 17.6 per cent share. Daylight was next with Mercedes Benz taking fourth with 49 sales ahead of Iveco with 44 light duty trucks and Fiat with 39.
Interestingly Hyundai had its best month in a long time with 24 light duty sales.
Medium duty was also up on the result from this time last year, with 494 overall sales, 16 ahead of February 2020.
Isuzu again ruled the roost to lead the category with 205 sales and 41.5 per cent market share, a rise in both volume and share on the 2020 result, while Hino scored 164 sales and 33.23 per cent market share, and Fuso was third with 89 units and 18 per cent market share.
The Van sector also recorded a satisfying rise up three per cent on February last year and a whopping 50 per cent on the January 2021 figures with total van sales registering 459 last month.
Ford had a blinder of a month to beat perennial market leader, Mercedes Benz , the former’s Transit continuing to gather popularity with 150 sold, 16 more than the Mercedes with its Sprinter, while VW sold 95 Crafters.
Supply and not demand may well be the handbrake on sales numbers as the year unfolds and only time will tell if the strong market continues throughout the year, however manufacturers tell us they are holding strong order banks well into the third quarter.
