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Van sales slump with trucks not far behind
Page 9
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COMMERCIAL VEHICLE registrations dropped by 44.7% in January (compared to the same month last year), while in the rolling 12 months to the end of January, figures fell by 14.3% to 334,909 units.
New van sales also took a big knock, falling 47.3% for the first month of 2009 and 17% for the previous 12 months, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Meanwhile, truck registrations were up 71% for the rolling year, hut that is little consolation for manufacturers, especially considering the rolling year figure for December was 13.1% — a 6% drop. January's truck registrations plummeted by 31.9%, totalling just 3,036 units for the period compared with 4,458 for January 2008.
The SMMT predicts that sales will continue to fall as existing stock clears and lead times diminish, SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt says: "January's figures show the close link between the economic outlook and new van and truck registrations. They show how tough the first half of the year will get as spending slows. Now truck registrations are falling fast after holding up until the final quarter of 2008." -"lor-