Speak to anyone in the truck sales industry and they will tell you that the market is a ‘ bit soft’ but that sentiment is contradicted by the Truck Industry Council’s latest sales data for the first nine months of 2015 which reveal that the total truck sales are up 4.8 per cent on the same period in 2014.
Total Australian truck sales for the first nine months tallied 23,388 units and according to the TIC, the year on year growth was almost matched by the September result which saw sales up 4.4 per cent on the same month last year.
It was the light end of the market however that drive the growth with heavy duty sales experienced yet another decline. Light-duty truck and van sales were up significantly while medium-duty sales had a small rise.
Interestingly the light-duty van market cooled in September, with sales down 9.2 per cent on September 2014 with the sector registering just of only 435 sales for the month, however on a year-to-date basis the segment is still up 22.8 per cent.
For the month of September light-duty truck sales rose a whopping 21.8 per cent over September last year and are up around 11.8 per cent for the first nine months of the year.
Isuzu continues to lead truck sales overall brand with a market share of 22.9 per cent while Kenworth leads the heavy-duty segment with 20.7 per cent of the heavy end of the market. Isuzu’s strength of course comes from its dominance of the light and medium sectors with a 35 per cent share in light and a 40.6 per cent in medium.
Mercedes-Benz is dominant in the light-duty van market holding a share of 43.3 per cent.
The medium-duty sector overall saw a slight rise of just three per cent for the month compared with September 2014 while for the first nine-months year-to-date they are up 2.1 per cent higher than on the same period in 2014.
It is in the heavy-duty sector where there is some concern with sales for September down around 1.9 per cent on the same month last year and year-to-date sales down seven per cent.
Results for the third quarter of 2015 are up 3.6 per cent on the same period in 2014 with light-duty sales totaling 2,539 units making it the strongest quarterly result for the sector post GFC but still down 14.2 per cent on the best ever third quarter result achieved in 2005.
Ironically while light duty van sales were down in September the overall van market posted an all-time third quarter record for the segment recording 1,316 van sales for the July to September period.
For heavy trucks sales of 2,579 units for the third quarter total was one of the worst quarters in the past twelve years and down 26 per cent on the best ever third quarter which was in 2007.
In total 8,248 trucks and vans were sold in third quarter, 296 more than the same quarter last year but still 17.7 per cent down on the record third quarter achieved in 2007 when 10,020 trucks and vans were sold.
The change in leadership fo the Federal Government has given the Industry body some optimism for further recovery and a stronger sales result according to TIC Chief Executive Officer, Tony McMullan.
“I am hopeful that the new Prime Minister and the new cabinet will be the catalyst for renewed business confidence and the capital expenditure required to kick start growth at the top end of the truck market,” said Mr. McMullan.
“The July to September quarter was very much a repeat of the sales results we have experienced throughout 2015. I hope that our new Prime Minister and his revised cabinet will consider financial incentives … and provide the necessary business confidence for transport companies to make the larger dollar capital investment decisions that are required to renew their heavy-duty truck fleets.”
SEPTEMBER 2015 YEAR-TO-DATE REGISTRATIONS (OVERALL)
| RANKING | MANUFACTURER | YTD REGOS | REGO VARIANCE YOY (%) | MARKET SHARE (%) |
| Isuzu | 5354 | +3.0 | 22.9 | |
| Hino | 3342 | +15.6 | 14.3 | |
| Fuso | 2396 | +4.3 | 10.2 | |
| Kenworth | 1497 | -6.0 | 6.4 | |
| Volvo | 1060 | +9.7 | 4.5 | |
| Iveco | 999 | -7.0 | 4.3 | |
| Mercedes-Benz | 750 | -5.1 | 3.2 | |
| Mack | 653 | -11.3 | 2.8 | |
| UD Trucks | 550 | -1.6 | 2.4 | |
| Scania | 461 | -8.7 | 2.0 | |
| Western Star | 425 | -22.7 | 1.8 | |
| Freightliner | 424 | -24.4 | 1.8 | |
| Fiat | 359 | +1.4 | 1.5 | |
| DAF | 225 | -11.7 | 1.0 | |
| MAN | 187 | -7.4 | 0.8 | |
| Foton | 120 | N/A | 0.5 | |
| Renault | 111 | +73.4 | 0.5 | |
| Ford | 98 | +653.8 | 0.4 | |
| Dennis Eagle | 64 | 0 | 0.3 | |
| Cat | 62 | -60.5 | 0.3 | |
| TOTAL | (including vans) | 23,388 | +4.8 | 100.0 |
SEPTEMBER 2015 YEAR-TO-DATE REGISTRATIONS (HEAVY DUTY)
| RANKING | MANUFACTURER | YTD REGOS | REGO VARIANCE YOY (%) | MARKET SHARE (%) |
| Kenworth | 1497 | -6.0 | 20.7 | |
| Volvo | 1056 | +9.7 | 14.6 | |
| Isuzu | 886 | +10.5 | 12.3 | |
| Mack | 653 | -11.3 | 9.0 | |
| Iveco | 463 | -15.5 | 6.4 | |
| Scania | 461 | -8.7 | 6.4 | |
| Western Star | 425 | -22.7 | 5.9 | |
| Freightliner | 424 | -24.4 | 5.9 | |
| Fuso | 246 | -5.7 | 3.4 | |
| Hino | 240 | +6.7 | 3.3 | |
| Mercedes-Benz | 230 | -6.1 | 3.2 | |
| DAF | 199 | -11.9 | 2.8 | |
| UD Trucks | 146 | -4.6 | 2.0 | |
| MAN | 146 | +4.3 | 2..0 | |
| Dennis Eagle | 64 | +8.5 | 0.9 | |
| Cat | 62 | -60.5 | 0.9 | |
| International | 23 | -37.8 | 0 | |
| TOTAL | 7221 | -7.0 | 100.0 |
SEPTEMBER 2015 YEAR-TO-DATE REGISTRATIONS (MEDIUM DUTY)
| RANKING | MANUFACTURER | YTD REGOS | REGO VARIANCE YOY (%) | MARKET SHARE (%) |
| Isuzu | 1981 | +0.7 | 40.6 | |
| Hino | 1479 | +15.0 | 30.3 | |
| Fuso | 774 | -5.4 | 15.9 | |
| UD Trucks | 404 | -0.5 | 8.3 | |
| Iveco | 90 | +13.9 | 1.8 | |
| Mercedes-Benz | 75 | -35.3 | 1.5 | |
| MAN | 41 | -33.9 | 0.8 | |
| DAF | 26 | -10.3 | 0.5 | |
| Foton | 7 | N/A | 0 | |
| Volvo | 4 | +33.3 | 0 | |
| TOTAL | 4881 | +2.0 | 100.0 |
SEPTEMBER 2015 YEAR-TO-DATE REGISTRATIONS (LIGHT DUTY)
| RANKING | MANUFACTURER | YTD REGOS | REGO VARIANCE YOY (%) | MARKET SHARE (%) |
| Isuzu | 2487 | +2.4 | 35.0 | |
| Hino | 1623 | +17.5 | 22.8 | |
| Fuso | 1376 | +13.0 | 19.3 | |
| Iveco | 446 | -0.2 | 6.3 | |
| Mercedes-Benz | 445 | +3.7 | 6.3 | |
| Fiat | 359 | -1.4 | 5.0 | |
| Foton | 113 | N/A | 1.6 | |
| Renault | 111 | +73.4 | 1.6 | |
| Ford | 98 | +653.8 | 1.4 | |
| Volkswagen | 55 | +52.8 | 0.8 | |
| TOTAL | 7113 | +11.7 | 100.0 |
SEPTEMBER 2015 YEAR-TO-DATE REGISTRATIONS (LIGHT-DUTY VAN)
| RANKING | MANUFACTURER | YTD REGOS | REGO VARIANCE YOY (%) | MARKET SHARE (%) |
| Mercedes-Benz | 1807 | +12.0 | 43.3 | |
| Renault | 950 | +25.7 | 22.8 | |
| Ford | 554 | +72.6 | 13.3 | |
| Fiat | 463 | +44.2 | 11.1 | |
| Volkswagen | 276 | +32.1 | 6.6 | |
| Iveco | 123 | +55.7 | 2.9 | |
| TOTAL | 4173 | +22.8 | 100.0 |
