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Dominant Daf leads pack
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Despite concerns over a slowdown in economic activity, the UK truck market has hit its highest level since 1989. So who were the big winners and losers in 2005? Andy Salter reports.
FIGURES RELEASED by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that in 2005 the total market for commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes GVW was up 4.5% compared with the previous year.
Dal claimed top spot by a wide margin with 14,987 of the total 58,841 vehicles registered. In fact. Dal Trucks not only topped the market overall, but was also market leader in every sector — an unprecedented achievement.
Mercedes and Neck) took the silver and bronze positions, just as they did last year. For the record, Mercedes held its position relative to the increase in market size, retaining 17.8% of the market, while Iveco saw its registrations dip and its market share suffer. falling 0.8% on the previous year to 13.4%.
Ford showed the biggest growth in the market above 3.5 tonnes, posting an astonishing 159% rise in registrations to 1,756. It claimed eighth spot in th,..
overall market standings, ahead of both Foden and ERE However, analysis of the statistics shows 1,539 of Ford's registrations were minibuses and therefore were not indicative of a rise in Ford's CV activities.
Apart from Ford and Daf. only Volvo, Dennis and VW showed above-market growth in 2005. Volvo's growth appears widespread across the sectors; Dennis's success reflects the health of the recycling and waste sector; and VW benefited from some minibus sales and the improved fortunes of its big LT chassis-cab.
Biggest losers overall in the market was MAN-ERF, whose combined volumes were down significantly on 2004.
The company will be expecting an improvement in its fortunes this year with the new TGL and TGM now firmly established.
Renault and Scania also had poor years in terms of truck registrations. The former has now virtually lost all the ground it made up at the beginning of the decade while Scania appears to have had a more reserved year but we'll still expect to see decent profitability when it files its annual accounts.
Tractors rising
The total tractor market above 32.52 tonnes was up 5.5% on 2004, with Daf,MAN and Iveco showing healthy growth. Daf. of course, was sector leader, while Mercedes leapfrogged Volvo and Scania to take second spot. Volvo beat off fellow Swede Scania for third place.
The tractor market was one of MAN's few areas of good news in 2005 as it gained volume to overtake ERE although in total the MAN-ERF conglomerate is struggling to prove that 2+2 equals more than 3 in any of the sectors in which it is active.
Elsewhere on the tractor scene, Renault stumbled and will be hoping the new Premium rescues its fortunes, while Foden sales have predictably come under pressure.
Notably, Iveco finally seems to have its act together in the tractor sector, registering 75% more tractors in 2005 than 2004. Threeaxle tractors continued to outsell 4x2s by approximately 3:1; only Daf, MAN and Iveco showed any growth in this area during 2005.
Such is Dal's dominance in the tractor market that it appears to have scooped all the new tractor business in 2005.
Multi-wheelers were the fastest growing sector last year with Iveco, Volvo and Foden showing the most growth. Iveco and Volvo appear to have been most successful in the three-axle sector — 55.2% of the registrations in this sector are now 6x2 rigids and both marques have strong products in their range.
Foden's strength remains in the fix4 sector: it appears operators have been taking advantage of the Caterpillar/Cummins driveline options while they still can.
Of the rest,MAN-ERF has been hit by a lack of eight-leggers and has seen its volumes slump, while Mercedes will be hoping its new Axor eight-wheeler can reverse its downward spiral in the 8x4 sector where its products are currently too heavy and expensive.
Iveco will need the Trakker to begin earning its keep in the UK.
The 18-tonne sector remained stable.growing 1.6°/0; the 7.5-tonne sector was equally static. dropping just 65 units compared with 2004.
Daf took market leadership from Iveco last year with LFs accounting for one in every three registrations in this sector.
lveco's fortunes dipped despite the new Eurocargo being well established. The new Mercedes Atego is clearly winning friends in the market, gaining 5,3% more registrations in 2005 than 2004.
• See next week for a full analysis of the van sector