Industry is within striking distance of best year since GFC, but November indicates a possible softening.
New truck sales have increased in the past five months compared with last year’s results.
Official T-Mark figures for the month of November show sales of 2,605 units, a 2.5 per cent gain compared with the November 2013 total.
However November’s numbers were not as strong as those posted in the preceding four months, “and this possibly indicates that the market is softening,” the Truck Industry Council (TIC) says.
Year-to date (YTD) sales are just 179 units behind those of November 2013’s cumulative total of almost 28,000.
TIC says that’s “within striking distance” of the best post-GFC result for Australian truck sales, which was recorded last year.
The heavy duty segment picked up slightly in November compared with the same month last year, with 969 sales.
However the YTD sales picture is not as positive, with sales behind by nearly 5 per cent.
Medium duty sales were down a touch in November, running against the positive trend seen in this segment recently.
YTD segment sales, at around 6,000, are almost 3 per cent down compared with the same time last year.
The light duty segment was again in positive territory with 723 units sold in November.
YTD sales are up by more than 100, to almost 8,000.
However the 3.5 tonne-plus van segment again posted a negative result, down slightly at 387 units in November.
Nevertheless, strong first half year results see the van segment up almost 9 per cent YTD compared with last year, at more than 4,200 units.
“In summary the top end of the market, heavy and medium truck sales, are down for the year while light duty trucks and vans are up,” the TIC says.
“December sales results will determine if 2014 becomes our best post GFC year for new truck sales, or not.”
TIC CEO Tony McMullan says the final result for 2014 will be about 20 per cent lower than the record year the industry experienced in 2007.
“We must remain mindful that at the current new truck sales rate, the truck fleet is not being replenished at a level greater than the nation’s freight task is growing, and as such the Australian truck park will continue to grow older,” he says.