April fits typically with the shaky start to 2016, looking at the latest data from the Truck Industry Council.
The growth in the heavy vehicle market in 2016 has come from the smaller segments with light and medium trucks sales up over the first four months, van sales equal to 2015 results, and truck sales continuing to decline.
TIC says that strong sales were recorded for April in light and medium trucks, vans had their second successive month of negative growth, while heavy truck sales were in positive territory, just, for a second month this year.
April’s 2522 total is down from March’s 2669 but exactly level with February’s mark.
Despite the dip, however, this April has only been beaten by April 2010, when the total was 2309, TIC figures show.
April was down 52 units in the heavy trucks segment but a silver lining is that it is up 73 units on its February total and seven units up on April 2015.
It was marked by Isuzu, at 100 units sold, just getting back into three figures for the first time since December 2015, while leaders Kenworth and Volvo were unable to sustain the previous two months’ growth, losing 32 sales each.
Scania, with 58, made a strong return to form after the first two months of the year.
Medium-duty sales continue to make every post a winner this year, with April’s 21-unit jump to 551 supporting March’s 38-unit leap, itself 148 up on January. At 238, Isuzu continues to be the leader in htis segment.
April’s total was up significantly from April 2015’s 477 and, like the overall total, was the best since April 2010’s 592.
The light-duty market took a breather from its break-neck rise, slipping back from March’s 909 units to 837, which was still above February’s 799 and the previous April’s 688.
Much of that fall was due to Isuzu lowering sales to 304 from March’s 361 and February’s 312.
Among the vans, having been headed by Renault in the first two months, Mercedes-Benz has reasserted its dominance, with its 173 total now more than double the French challenger’s 84.
Total heavy vehicle sales year-to-date April 2016 were 9297 units, up 3.2%, 292 vehicles, over the same period in 2015, however 18%, or 2046 vehicles short of the pre-GFC first third of year high of 11,343 sales in 2008.
TIC chief, Tony McMullan comments: “Light duty truck sales have been the one constant over the first four months of 2016 with sales in each of the first four months up over those seen in 2015. The medium truck segment has seen three positive sales months and one negative and continues to place ahead of 2015.”
“Light duty van sales appear to be cooling with two positive and two negative months.Year-to-date van sales align closely with those of 2015.”
“Heavy duty truck sales continue to decline in 2016 with the two negative month sales outweighing the two positive month sales.
“I concur with the comments made by the TIC President, Phil Taylor, that it appears companies are simply delaying their bigger dollar fleet replacement decisions, hopefully only until our country’s political path is determined in the pending federal election” says McMullan.”
