Heavy duty, medium duty and light duty truck categories recorded monthly sales growth in October, despite a “cooling back half” of 2018, the truck industry says.
Heavy hauler sales were up 17.7% in October compared with the same month in 2017, while medium duty managed a 10.6% jump. Light duty delivered a rockstar 18.1% improvement over October 2017. Seemingly unbeatable Kenworth reigns supreme in HD, 19% up on October 2017 with 276 reported sales last month, and 2361 for year-to-date sales a full 20% ahead of last year’s efforts.
Volvo and Isuzu battle it out for the heavy duty podium, with the former holding silver with 178 October 2018 sales (up 12.7%) and 1759 year-to-date sales a chunky 15% up on last year, while Isuzu came close on 175 October sales, and clinches third on 1517 reported sales (up nearly 13% year-to-date).
Heavy sales are also ahead in year-to-date figures, tracking with a solid 24% lead. However the Truck Industry Council says the light-duty segment is the “star performer”, not only for October’s efforts, but also for powering ahead of 2017’s year-to-date sales by over 13% or 1290 units.
Light duty van sales are also in good stead, holding on by 4.5% over October 2017, although the sector lost ground by 18.5% year-to-date.
Mercedes-Benz Vans remains top dog, sitting pretty on 2148 for the year and 156 last month, head a shoulders ahead of French rival Renault’s 1088 and 95 respective sales for the year and October. Both brands are ahead of last year’s targets, Benz up by 42% for the year and 36% over October 2017; Renault is pulling decent best-efforts, 21% up on yearly sales compared to 2017, and 22.2% up on October last year.
Overall, Isuzu remains the market leader, and without some insane sales figures in November and December, it looks like Toyota’s second-place Hino will keep Daimler’s Fuso in third for overall sales in 2018. Hino’s 4647 year-to-date sales (up 13%) are holding Fuso at bay on 3554 sales (up 10% on 2018).
Kenworth looks likely to hold onto fourth, keeping Volvo in fifth overall for now, unless sixth-placed Mercedes-Benz can rise to the occasion, sitting on 1648, just 145 units behind the Swedish brand.
Iveco currently sits in seventh with 1606 year-to-date sales after 246 October sales puts it in fifth place for the month but sitting 42 sales behind Mercedes-Benz. Well off the pace is MAN in eighth, Mach in ninth, and UD Trucks holding onto 10th ahead of Scania.
Truck Industry Council chief executive Tony McMullan says it was “great to see strong light duty truck sales in October.”
“Although we are witnessing a slowing of sales in most segments in the past three or four months, the overall results for 2018 remain strong,” he says.
“The heavy and medium sector continue to perform solidly, while van sales were weak in October, however continue to perform slightly above 2017 sales on a year-to-date basis,” McMullan assesses.
“With just two months remaining in the year we are inching ever closer to a new all-time sales record for heavy vehicle sales in Australia. We may even crack that elusive goal of more than 40,000 new truck sales in a calendar year.”
Join the conversation