October truck sales have again seen strong results as the industry charges to its first ever 40000 plus annual sales total with the October result indicating the magic barrier will be easily exceeded by 31 December.
A total of 3781 trucks were sold in October meaning the 40000 barrier is just 5554 away with two months worth of sales to come and just about every maker carrying big order banks well into 2019.
So far this year the industry has shifted 34446 trucks with all market segments, except light duty van, posting gains over the results from October last year. Heavy duty sector
sales saw the segment move 1,398 units, up 17.7 per cent or 210 trucks, on October 2017 and year-to-date the result sees the segment tracking 24.4 per cent ahead of this time last year or in pure numbers 2,309 more heavy units than the sold in the ten months to the end of October 2017.
October produced another solid month for the medium duty segment with 721 sales up 10.6 per cent or 69 trucks on the same month last year. Year-to-date the tally stands at 6,807 medium duty to the end of October compared with 5,901 the ten month tally this time last year, a solid 15.4 per cent increase this year.
Light duty was the star performer in October with 1,234 units delivered up 18.1 per cent or 189 trucks on October last year. The ten month tally of 10,788 small trucks represents an increase of 1,290 sales or 13.6 per cent on last year.
Isuzu is just 1813 units shy of a record 10000 tally for the year after a strong 924 unit result in October to top the overall truck sales charts taking 24.4 per cent of the market to head long time rival Hino by 413 units. Hino also had a strong result with its 511 units giving it 13.5 per cent market share while Fuso recorded 388 sales to be third with 10.3 per cent market share.
Kenworth was fourth and again headed the heavy sector with 276 sales 97 ahead of rival Volvo that was fifth overall and second to Kenworth in the heavy sector with 179 sales.
Mercedes Benz continued its strong result to be sixth overall with 213 sales for the month while its US sibling Freightliner continues to struggle in the wake of the announcement of the demise of the Argosy with just 24 sales for the month. 2019 promises to be a long year for the brand as it waits for the arrival of Cascadia in early 2020.
Most other brands had strong results with Iveco, MAN, Mack and UD all selling more than 100 trucks each for the month. Scania scored 75 sales while DAF sold 62 trucks.
International had a better month edging towards double figures with 9 units while Hyundai sold just 12 trucks, its executives saying they are waiting for an automatic option to give the Korean brand the lift it needs to battle the Japanese brands.
Light Duty Van sales are up 4.5 per cent on the ten months compared with last year but down 97 vans on October 2017.
“It was great to see strong Light Duty Truck sales in October, while the Heavy and Medium sector continue to performed solidly,” TIC CEO Tony McMullan said.
“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.” Mr McMullan concluded.