New truck sales settle The week that was
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By David Wilcox
NEW TRUCK registrations in Britain appear to have flattened, settling at a level similar to that of a year ago.
The latest registrations data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that the number of trucks over 3.5-tonne GVW registered in the first three-quarters of this year was 16% ahead of last year’s total at this point. But all that progress was made in the first half; the monthly totals since July were all on a par with last year, bringing to an end 21 months of consecutive growth in the British truck market.
The market is beginning to regain its usual shape, with the rapid growth in the rigid truck sector apparently exhausting itself, and the decline in tractor units slowing. Both trends were corrections after an unusual year in 2011, so by the year-end the market split between rigid chassis and tractor units should be close to its long-term average.
Daf still has a commanding lead in the 6-tonne GVW-plus sector, with a market share of 30.3%. Then came MercedesBenz (15.8%); Scania (11.8%); MAN (11.1%) and Volvo with 9.9%.
The 6-tonne-plus sector as a whole has risen by 10.9% so far this year, but Daf’s figures are up by 30.7% and Mercedes’ by 15.5%. Others doing far better than the sector average are the Japanese trio of Isuzu Truck (up 17.4%); Fuso (up 29.2%) and Hino (up 56.2%). Dennis Eagle is running 37.1% ahead. Registrations at the Volvo Group pair, Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks, slipped during the first nine months, down 11.3% and 10.5% respectively.