After a record month truck sales result in June on the back of the Federal government’s $150,000 instant tax write off, the chance that July result could match the end of financial year result in June was always going to be remote.
However truck makers would generally be happy with the results for the month with a total of 2891 sales across all segments in Australia in July, well off June’s exceptional 4620 sales but the second best monthly result so far this year.
It is about 300 units off the July 2019 result but given the uncertainty and faltering conditions delivered by the Covid crisis truck makers should be well pleased with the number.
Reports from some makers indicate reasonably strong order books for the remainder of 2020 despite the effects of the Pandemic.
The major winners in July were again the Japanese brands which dominate the light and medium duty sectors with Isuzu, as always, leading the way with an overall 25 per cent market share and 724 sales for the month. This was well down on the more than 1100 trucks it moved in June, but still a strong result.
Hino was second overall with 456 sales in July capturing 15.8 per cent of the market, roughly line ball with its July 2019 results while Fuso had a particularly strong result to be third in the market with 309 sales and 10.7 per cent share.
The battle for dominance in the all important Heavy Duty sector tipped slightly back toward Kenworth in July, after several months of distinctly Viking dominance. However the Kenworth fightback only amounted to a four truck advantage over Volvo in July, not enough to make a serious dent in its year to date lead over Kenworth, which now sits at 101 units till the end of July. Volvo has sold 1063 heavy duty modes so far this year to Kenworth’s 962 trucks, not unassailable but it I going to be a tough task if Kenworth is to retain the heavy crown this year.
The Swedish brand was fourth in the overall market by dint of its additional 16 medium duty sales giving it 156 total sales for the month to Kenworth’s 144 all heavy truck sales volume.
Iveco bobbed into sixth overall with total sales of 114 units, largely on the back of its Daily in the light duty truck sector, while Mercedes-Benz was seventh overall, Scania eighth and UD ninth, with stablemate Mack rounding out the top ten with 43 sales for the month.
At the bottom end of the sales tally is International which continues to underperform recording just four units for the month and Hyundai which moved only 11 trucks for the month.
Isuzu posted a very strong 388 sales to lead light duty well ahead of the 227 for Hino and a resurgent 174 sales from Fuso in third ahead of 85 light duty sales for Iveco.
In medium duty Isuzu was the leader but Hino closed to within 37 units of its rival for the month. Isuzu sold 233 medium duty trucks to take 40.9 per cent of the sector, with Hino moving 196 units for 34.4 percent share and Fuso 104 units and 18.2 per cent share. The dominance of the three Japanese brands in medium is underlined by the fact that fourth in the sector was Volvo with just 16 units and 2.8 per cent share.
