The new truck market continues its upward trajectory with 422 units registered for May 2014, a 14.7% increase on the total of 368 units sold in the corresponding period last year.
Market leader Isuzu Trucks had a minor blip selling 75 units in May 2014 as opposed 80 in the previous corresponding period in 2013 but the company’s year to date sales of 320 for 2014 are well ahead of 257 for the same period last year.
Hino had a better May 2014 with 68 units sold as opposed to 50 in May 2013, a 36% increase for the month.
Mitsubishi Fuso was third in the May 2014 sales charts on 48 units, a 9.4% decrease on the 53 units it sold in May 2013.
Fourth placed MAN had a boomer May 2014 with 34 units sold, a massive 1600% increase on the 2 trucks sold in May 2013.
Mercedes-Benz, UD Trucks, and Volvo tied for fifth place with each brand selling 27 trucks each in May 2014. It was an 80% improvement for Benz over the 15 units sold in May 2013, a 145% improvement for UD Trucks over the 11 it sold in May 2013, but a small 15% decrease for Volvo, as it sold 32 trucks in May 2013.
Scania also had a good month with 26 units sold as opposed to 16 in the previous corresponding period, a 62.5% increase in sales.
Rounding out the top ten were DAF and Kenworth with 14 sales each, a 16% improvement for both over the previous corresponding period in 2013 where they each sold 12 units.
Hino Trucks general manager Ray Roberts says the truck market continues to remain strong for cab/chassis sales, and he expects it to finish strongly as well this year.
While Roberts jokingly says he hates being number 2 in the sales charts, he says there is a place in the market for everyone, and Hino continues to enjoy strong relationships with its current customer base in its 50th year of operation in New Zealand.
Hino will have a big presence at the National Fieldays promoting its built-to-go range of Hino 300 models, as well as presenting a new Tipper deck Euro 5 Hino FM series with a 9-speed synchromesh gearbox.
Roberts says he hears anecdotally that both the truck bodybuilders and the trailer manufacturers have very strong forward orders, and some are struggling to keep up with the demand placed on them.
