DESPITE strong monthly sales figures for March, the Australian new truck market narrowly missed a new sales record for the second consecutive year, according to data released by the Truck Industry Council (TIC).
Tony McMullan, CEO of TIC, said truck sales across the full market of light duty vans, light, medium and heavy trucks, were just 115 short of the new record for the first quarter, set in 2023.
Mr McMullan said TIC, the peak body representing the 18 truck manufacturers active in Australia, as well as four engine and major component manufacturers, was pleased to see new truck sales continue at near-record levels.
"The first three months of 2024 have brought near record new truck sales in Australia, with new sales records being set in both the Heavy Duty truck and the Light Duty van segments," Mr McMullan said.
"It is pleasing to witness that after record sales in 2022 and 2023, the market continues to hold up well for the third consecutive year. Let us hope that this trend continues for the rest of the year and beyond."
Isuzu continues to be the leading truck brand in Australia, delivering 1,085 trucks in March alone, with a total of 2,893 trucks in the three months to March 31.
While Isuzu supplies trucks across the full range of light, medium and heavy duty, along with fellow Japanese manufacturers Hino (454 - March/1,131 - Q1) and Fuso (309 - March/876 - Q1), Volvo, with a factory in Wacol, Queensland, which operates only in the medium and heavy duty segments, actually delivered more trucks in March (373) than Fuso, but was behind on the Q1 result with 807 deliveries.
Kenworth, with a manufacturing facility in Bayswater, Victoria, was the leading heavy duty-only brand, delivering 248 trucks in March, with a Q1 total of 701 deliveries.
Despite leading the sales charts year-on-year, Isuzu (1,256 - 2023/1,085 - 2024), Hino (532 - 2023/454 - 2024) and Fuso (465 - 2023/309 - 2024) all recorded reductions in their monthly and quarterly sales figures.
The first quarter of 2024 also saw the light duty van segment set a new sales record for non-passenger vans with a gross vehicle mass between 3,501kg and 8,000kg, with a total of 1,686 vans delivered in the first three months of the year.
This figure was rounded out by a March sales figure of 596 units, dominated by Mercedes-Benz (262) and Renault (149), although, just as in the truck segments, some manufacturers, including Volkswagen (147 - 2023/35 - 2024) and FIAT (46 - 2023/26 - 2024), recorded significant falls in their monthly sales figures.
With a goal of promoting 'Cleaner, Greener, Safer' trucks for Australian roads, Mr McMullan said TIC members are confident the ongoing strong sales figures will see the average age of the Australian truck fleet continue to decrease.
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