Historic truck sale highs please TIC

Lift on previous year described as ‘massive’

 

The frowns and head-scratching that marked Truck Industry Council (TIC) pronouncements on new truck sales has given way to a more bullish view.

Led by a former problem child, the heavy duty segment, fresh sales ground is being beaten.

“The first three months of calendar year 2018 saw record, or near record, new truck sales that have come together to produce a new first quarter heavy vehicle mark in Australia,” TIC says.

“Year-to-date a total of 8,675 trucks and vans have been delivered in Australia, this is a massive increase of 1,517 units over this time last year, up 21.2 per cent.

“It also eclipses the all-time sales record set in quarter one 2008 where 8,267 trucks were sold in January through to March, by 408 vehicles, a 4.9 per cent increase.”

While the main focus has been on trucks, other commercial vehicles are also making a mark.

Light Duty Van sales in March, at 537 units, were up 6.1 per cent, or 31 vans, when compared with March 2017. 

The first quarter tally stands slightly ahead of this with growth over quarter one 2017 of 7.5 per cent.

This represents 1,429 van sales so far in 2018, up exactly 100 vans when compared to the end of March 2017.

“It is pleasing that after more than a decade we are seeing some old benchmarks reached, or surpassed,” TIC  president Phil Taylor says.

“March and first quarter 2018 truck sales were all time records and in line with industry trends that we have seen building for the past 12 months.

“It has taken the heavy vehicle market in Australia a long time to recover from the GFC, more than 10 years and over that time we have seen our nation’s truck fleet age considerably.

“It will take many more years of record growth for our average truck age to get back to where it was in 2007 and that is considered very old by global standards.

“However, for now the market is strong and let’s hope that this trend continues for the rest of the year and beyond!”

 

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