Sales record tumbles in June

Just like everything else, you can blame COVID for our bumper month of 4741 units and our year-to-date figure of 19,920, just 50 short of the best-ever year.

While COVID has been a disaster for some, it has been a boom time for others. Plus the Government’s incentive programs have brought forward many sales to add to the bumper month.

Again, Isuzu led the charge with 1085 sales or 22.9 per cent of the market. Hino was second with a record month for the company at 761 with Fuso third posting another record of 568 sales.

Related reading:
Aussie truck sales storm back
European commercial vehicle sales boom

In the heavy-duty market, Kenworth had an incredible month with 325 sales while Volvo slid into second with 146 sales just ahead of a fast-finishing Mercedes-Benz with 139. Scania came in fourth with 122.

Scania’s YTD sales are notable as it is the highest half-year sales figure for the company to date, prompting a spokesman to say: Scania’s 576 deliveries is our highest first half result ever. It wasn’t that long ago that 576 would have been a respectable full year figure for us.

“Obviously the market is up and deliveries are high across the board, but we’re still very pleased with the number.”

The big three Japanese manufacturers dominated the Medium sector but with Hino this time surpassing Isuzu with 293 sales. Fuso was third with 182 units moved.

Light Duty was back to Isuzu with an impressive 681 sales for 42 per cent of the market. Second was again Hino with 389 with Fuso recording a still impressive 298.

A spokesman for the Truck Industry Council said: "Whilst the Australian total heavy truck and van market is showing significant sales growth over the five-year average, in reality, almost all growth continues to be in the Light Truck and Light Van segments, with the Medium Truck segment sales tracking at about the five-year average mark and Heavy Truck segment sales just above the five-year average.

"TIC continues to receive feedback from some truck manufacturers and importers that international part and vehicle supply shortages, due to the global COVID 19 pandemic, are impacting on their ability to build Heavy Duty trucks in Australia and import Heavy Duty trucks from parent organisations in Europe and the USA, though this appears to be easing as we move through the halfway point of the year. Japanese truck imports appear to be less effected by these supply chain issues," he continued.

"Stellar Heavy Duty sales were recorded in June 2021, this marking the end of the Australian financial year and no doubt truck customers were keen to complete their HD truck purchases so that they could claim the Federal government’s 100 per cent instant asset write off. It is likely that July sales will be weak and that the June peak will be 'normalised' once the July numbers are counted, with the segment expected to stabilise at about three per cent growth above the five-year average," he concluded.

Overall, it was an impressive month of sales with most brands recording increases over the corresponding period last year, and many pundits saying that we may well post an all-time record for the whole year, which would make 2021 and very strange year indeed.