Heavy truck sales slump in Britain

Latest figures show sales of heavy vehicles slumped in Britain in January 2014, the Euro 6 pre-buy making its presence felt

British truck sales dropped by 37 per cent during the month of January 2014 when compared to January of the previous year, the market bearing the full impact of the companies that upgraded to Euro 6 vehicles before the end of 2013.

In all, 19,939 commercial vehicles were sold in January, states Britain’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), representing a 5.3 per cent improvement over the January 2013 figure.

However, that positive growth can be attributed to a 12.9 per cent increase in light commercial vehicles of 3.5 tonnes or under – sales of vehicles of between 3.5 tonnes and 6.0 tonnes fell by 26.4 per cent, while sales of vehicles heavier than 6.0 tonnes fell by 39.1 per cent.

In the heavy-duty segment, where a total of 1460 vehicles were sold, all but two manufacturers suffered a hit: Dennis Eagle’s sales grew by 5.6 per cent and Renault Truck’s sales grew by an incredible 143.1 per cent.

The SMMT’s Chief Executive, Mike Hawes, said the results held few surprises.

“The overall commercial vehicle market grew 5.3 per cent in January as more robust business confidence boosted van registrations,” he said.

“As expected, the pre-Euro-6 rush at the end of last year dented truck volumes in January – a market factor we expect to continue for some months.

“Looking ahead, SMMT is confident that van registrations will continue to grow at a sustainable rate, while truck demand should level out over the full year.”

Heavy truck sales slump in Britain

Tags