Light-duty segment scores record year-to-date figure for July as heavy segment languishes
The annual end-of-financial-year plunge in commercial vehicle sales arrived on cue, with June’s 3,552 total giving way to 2,593 in July, Truck Industry Council (TIC) T-Mark figures show.
However, this year was marked by a bigger drop than recently, at 959 units, compared with 793 last year, 370 in 2014 and 540, 520 and 455 in 2011.
But it wasn’t the biggest drop this decade, with 2010 having that dubious honour, at 1,493, when the Global Financial Crisis repercussions were being felt in certain segments.
Against that, the year-to-date (YTD) figure for 2016 soared through the 18,000 mark for the first time this decade – to 18,720, a full 476 units above last year’s previous decade high and 1,255 more than in 2014.
While all major makes down month-on-month to varying degrees, the July totals year-on-year figures show the month holding up quite well for the decade.
Much of this year’s drop off was felt in the heavy-duty segment, from 1,052 to 765, and the slippage had grown as the decade unfolded.
At 5,274, the YTD total is second only to 2011’s 4,915 as the worst performance of the decade.
The medium-duty segment is study in contrast with the heavy brigade – at 546 for the month, comparable with other years but at 3,892 for the YTD second only to 2010’s 4,135.
The light-duty segment refused to let the YTD decade record go begging, with 5,874 units sold comfortably above 2010’s 5,402 and YOY’s 856 pipping 2014’s by three.