Light-duty leads truck sales rebound

The latest new truck and van registration data for September is in, the data revealing it’s light-duty trucks and vans at the spearhead of an industry showing strong signs of bouncing back after a tumultuous period. 

According to the latest Truck Industry Council (TIC) T-MARK data, a total of 3685 new trucks and vans were registered in September, bringing the year-to-date total to 30,421 units, as we head into the final quarter of the year.

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Those figures equate with gains of 28.9 per cent for the month and 22.6% year to date over the previous corresponding periods. However, and more importantly given the huge market volatility experienced since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, they also equate with respective gains of 16.3% (September) and 6.6% (year to date) over the 2019 figures, before the pandemic began. 

But the biggest gains have occurred at the lighter end of the commercial vehicle market, with the light-duty truck and light-duty van segments posting sizeable increases not just from last year but also the year before, whereas the heavy-duty and medium-duty segments are still down on 2019 figures for their year-to-date tallies (but up year on year). 

Here’s a breakdown of how the market is performing across the major segments... 

Overall 

Nine out of the top 10 brands posted at least double-digit growth in their year-to-date totals in overall terms, with the notable exception being Volvo, which is down 13.1%. 

The strongest growth was experienced by Daimler brand, Mercedes-Benz, with its year-to-date tally of 1315 units to the end of September up 54.2% from the same period last year. Heavy-duty market leader Kenworth wasn’t far behind, with comparative growth of 49.9%. 

Overall year-to-date new registrations (with YOY percentage change) 

1. Isuzu, 7300, +19.5 

2. Hino, 4689, +23.3 

3. Fuso, 3454, +37.3 

4. Kenworth, 1972, +49.9 

5. Mercedes-Benz, 1315, +54.2 

6. Volvo, 1200, -13.1 

7. IVECO, 1017, +4.4 

8. Scania, 848, +33.8 

9. UD Trucks, 519, +16.4 

10. DAF, 464, +35.3 

Heavy-duty trucks 

A total of 1200 new heavy-duty trucks were registered in the month of September, which is up 32.6% from September last year and up 12.8% from September 2019. That bumped 2021’s year-to-date total for the segment to 9104 units, which is up 22.4% from the same time last year but down 4.2% from the corresponding period in 2019. 

As in the overall figures, it was only Volvo that posted negative growth in terms of its year-to-date tally, while Isuzu was up only slightly. 

Heavy-duty year-to-date new registrations (with YOY percentage change) 

1. Kenworth, 1972, +49.9 

2. Volvo, 1171, -11.2 

3. Isuzu, 965, +3.0 

4. Mercedes-Benz, 911, +54.9 

5. Scania, 848, +35.0 

Medium-duty trucks 

Sales performance was somewhat more restrained in the medium-duty segment, which nonetheless grew in terms of month-on-month and year-on-year sales. Some 650 new medium-duty trucks were registered for the month of September, the figure up 25.7% on the same month last year, bringing the year-to-date tally to 5460 units – up 10.8%. 

But while the September figure was also up 4.5% on September 2019, the year-to-date total is down 5.5% on the same period in 2019. 

The top four brands all posted growth in the medium-duty segment, the exception being IVECO, which dropped appreciably (albeit off a far smaller base). Fuso posted exceptional growth, narrowing the gap to its fellow Japanese rivals, Isuzu and Hino. 

Medium-duty year-to-date new registrations (with YOY percentage change) 

1. Isuzu, 2119, +8.3 

2. Hino, 1766, +8.1 

3. Fuso, 1075, +36.6 

4. UD Trucks, 120, +46.3 

5. IVECO, 77, -28.0 

Light-duty trucks 

The biggest gains across all the major segments fell in the light-duty truck segment. September saw 1259 new light-duty trucks registered, the figure equating with growth of 38.8% on the same month last year, for a year-to-date total of 10,522 trucks – 31.9% more than the first nine months of 2020. 

Those figures are also up significantly on the segment’s performance in 2019, being up 27.7% for the month and 23.3% year-to-date. 

All of the top five brands posted double-digit year-to-date growth, with Isuzu, Hino and Fuso all performing strongly across a segment being driven by the growth of e-commerce and last-mile delivery, which has been accelerating strongly throughout the pandemic. 

Light-duty year-to-date new registrations (with YOY percentage change) 

1. Isuzu, 4216, +31.2 

2. Hino, 2477, +36.3 

3. Fuso, 1960, +34.0 

4. IVECO, 681, +12.0 

5. FIAT, 420, +19.7 

Light-duty van 

The light-duty van segment has also been performing strongly, thanks to many of the same factors influencing the light-duty truck segment. The 576 new vehicles registered in September represent growth of 8.9% over the same month last year, while the year-to-date tally of 5405 is up 18.8%. 

Those figures are also up on 2019, by 15.5% (for the month) and 12.5% (year to date) respectively. 

Segment leader Mercedes-Benz has capitalised on the upward trend, as has Ford and FIAT, while Volkswagen has experienced only modest growth and Renault has contracted. 

Light-duty van year-to-date new registrations (with YOY percentage change) 

1. Mercedes-Benz, 2016, +21.2 

2. Ford, 948, +32.4 

3. Renault, 880, -1.2 

4. Volkswagen, 867, +3.1 

5. FIAT, 380, +79.3 

Light at the end of the tunnel 

With the easing of COVID-19-releated restrictions on the horizon in Australia’s two most populous states, the imminent lifting of international travel restrictions, and the shift to a more COVID-normal existence for many, the future for the commercial vehicle industry and the wider economy is looking up. 

Significant challenges still lie ahead, but as we hopefully put the worst of the pandemic in our mirrors, it will be commercial vehicles shouldering much of load to get our economy, and our society in general, back on track and firing on all cylinders.