Regos strong in September

The latest T-MARK data from the Truck Industry Council show commercial vehicle registrations enjoyed a solid month in September, with the 2865 new trucks and vans registered equating with overall growth of 4.4 per cent over the same month last year, and growth in the truck market (excluding vans) of 7.3%.

The year-to-date figure of 23,388 trucks and vans is up 4.8% year-on-year, but here the truck market is up by a more modest 1.6%.

The figures reflect the prevailing trend of recent months, where light-duty trucks (up 21.8% for the month and up 11.7% YTD) and vans (down 9.2% for the month but up 22.8% YTD) are pushing overall figures into the black, in effect masking the continued decline of the heavy-duty segment (down 1.9% for September and down 7.0% YTD). The medium-duty segment, however, essentially remains steady (up 3.0% for the month and up 2.0% YTD).

Isuzu continues as the nation's top-selling truck brand with overall market share of 22.9%. Kenworth leads the heavy-duty segment with market share of 20.7%, while Isuzu leads in both the medium-duty and light-duty segments with market shares of 40.6% and 35.0% respectively. Mercedes-Benz continues its stranglehold of the light-duty van segment, with a market share of 43.3%.

The TIC's Chief Executive Officer, Tony McMullan, said he hoped the new Prime Minister and new Coalition cabinet would be a catalyst for renewed business confidence, with a stronger truck market the subsequent result.

"The July to September quarter was very much a repeat of the sales results we have experienced throughout 2015," he said.

"The market is up over that of 2014, but the growth has been at the light end of the market in the light duty truck and van segments. Medium duty truck sales are up slightly, but heavy duty truck sales continue to wane and this is of great concern to myself and the industry, as this will result in an aging of the heavy truck fleet in Australia.

"I hope that our new Prime Minister and his revised cabinet will consider financial incentives, such as those outlined in TIC's National Truck Plan, and provide the necessary business confidence for transport companies to make the larger dollar capital investment decisions that are required to renew their heavy duty truck fleets and, in doing so, move Australia towards a younger, safer, environmentally cleaner and more productive national truck fleet."

SEPTEMBER 2015 YEAR-TO-DATE REGISTRATIONS (OVERALL)

SEPTEMBER 2015 YEAR-TO-DATE REGISTRATIONS (HEAVY DUTY)