Sales records under threat as year-end approaches

At the close of November 2023, new truck sales for the eleven months year-to-date stood at 43,646, a new record for truck sales to the end of November, but not a new annual record.

That stands at 44,379 sales set at the end of December last year. With December sales averaging out at about 3400 trucks, it is not difficult to predict that in a month’s time we will be chalking up a new annual milestone for Australian truck sales.

Even if we apply the worst ever December new truck sales figure of 2,498 trucks from 2009, the market will comfortably exceed the record set in 2022.

The heavy-duty truck segment was up again in November, continuing a year-long trend, with a total of 1607 units delivered for the month, up 5.8 per cent, or 88 trucks, on November 2022.

This November result was a new sales record for the eleventh month of the year. Year-to-date the result is even stronger, with heavy sales tracking up 17.3 per cent over those of the same period last year, with total heavy-duty truck sales to the end of November reaching 15,817.

In terms of actual truck numbers, the sales gap has now stretched to 2332 more heavy trucks sold year-to-date than in 2022. This is a new record for heavy duty truck sales in Australia, eclipsing the year end 2022 record when 14,966 Heavies were sold. This is before we count any December 2023 sales for Heavy Duty trucks.

Leading the month’s sales was Kenworth with 338 trucks sold, followed by Volvo with 289. Isuzu was next with 239 and then Scania with a respectable 139 trucks sold for the month.

Medium-duty truck sales have been solid throughout 2023 and that trend continued in November with Medium truck sales well up on the November 2022 result. A total of 755 medium trucks were sold in November 2023, up 15.1 per cent (99 trucks) over the same month last year.

Year-to-date sales in this segment are not quite as strong, however up on 2022 sales. 7280 Medium trucks have been delivered to the end of November this year, 458 sales ahead of the year-to-date result in 2022. This is a gain of 6.7 per cent over the same period last year.

For the month, Isuzu sold the most with 372 sales recorded, followed by Hino with 233 and the Fuso with 78 sales for the month

The light-duty truck sector has been up and down all year and November 2023 was another down month for little trucks.

In November, light-duty truck sales were down 12.3 per cent (-182 trucks) over the corresponding month last year. A total of 1294 Light trucks were delivered in November, which brings the year-to-date sales tally in 2023 to 14,979 for the light duty truck segment. This is just 0.1 per cent, or 12 trucks, behind the same period last year.

In the sales race, Isuzu was tops 534 sales while Fuso was next with 228 over arch rival Hino with 224 sales for the month.

In 2023 the light-duty van segment has been marking up lost ground over the poor sales results of 2022, principally due to the segment being the hardest hit by supply chain issues last year.

Despite recovering sales this year, November saw slower van sales than November 2022. Only 568 vans were sold in November, down 2.4 per cent (-14 vans), over the November 2022 result. Year-to-date the numbers are looking much better for the van segment with a total of 5570 vans delivered to the end of November 2023, that is up 12.1 per cent (601 vans) compared with the same period in 2022.

In the light-duty van segment, Mercedes-Benz took the chocolates with 265 sales followed by Renault with 142, the Volkswagen with 66 sales.

Tony McMullan, the TIC’s Chief Executive Officer, commented on the November results: “It is pleasing to see the solid sales continue through November, particularly in the heavy-duty truck segment.

“Year-to-date we are only 734 trucks shy of an all-time new-truck sales record here in Australia and with average December sales in the order of 3400 trucks, it very much appears that a new record beckons come the 31st of December.

“With the average age of trucks breaking the 15 year mark in 2021 and with Australia having one of the oldest truck fleets in the Western world, the record sales of last year and pending record sales this year, could not be more important,” Mr McMullan said.

“An old truck fleet is not good for road safety, nor noxious and greenhouse emissions, or for operator productivity. Renewal of our truck fleet can make a significant impact in addressing these safety, environmental and productivity issues.

“However, we need record, or near record, sales to continue for years to come in order to reverse the fleet aging trend that has been apparent in our market for over a decade now. Reducing the national truck fleet age will bring benefits for all road users.” Mr. McMullan concluded.