Q1 of 2024 has come to an end, and the Truck Industry Council report shows that the quarter has broken a new record for truck sales in the heavy-duty sector. 3788 heavy-duty trucks were sold from January to March, while overall sales saw a slight decline.
Across the entire market of heavy-duty trucks, medium duty trucks, light duty trucks and commercial vans tracked by the T-Mark database, there was a drop of 1.98 per cent for Q1 2024 versus Q1 2023.
Overall, a total 10,344 vehicles were delivered to March 31 this year, compared to 10,458 for January to March 2023.
In the biggest trucks, the heavy-duty segment, Volvo stepped up to deliver more than 11 trucks a day in March, with its total sales of 362 heavy trucks for the 31 days putting it well ahead of its nearest rival Kenworth for both the month of March, and for the quarter.
Heavy duty
(cab-chassis type vehicles, both rigid and prime mover, with three or more axles or two axles, a GVM > 8,000kg and GCM of > 39,000kg)
A total of 1,533 heavy duty trucks were handed over to customers in March 2024, contributing to a new first quarter sales record of 3,788 sales. This result eclipses the previous March quarter record of 3,615 heavy duty truck sales set in 2023.
The results show Volvo sold 788 trucks to March 31, accounting for 20.8 per cent of the market, while Kenworth clocked up 701 sales, reflecting 18.5 per cent.
Chasing Volvo and Kenworth into the top 10 spots for sales so far this year are Isuzu with 548 sales, Scania on 314, Mack on 240, Mercedes-Benz on 233, UD Trucks on 200, Fuso on 187, DAF on 160, and Hino on 131.
Medium duty
(cab-chassis type vehicle with GVM > 8,000kg and GCM up to and including 39,000kg)
The medium duty sector rose 8.9 per cent from 1,598 sales for Q1, 2023 to 1,741 sales for Q1, 2024.
The Q1 statistics show Isuzu accounted for 53.1 per cent of the 1,741 medium duty sales for the quarter this year, which is an increase on the 49.4 per cent of the market it snared for the same quarter last year.
In terms of Isuzu truck sales, it sold 790 medium duty trucks in Q1, 2023 versus 925 medium duty trucks in the first three months of this year.
The top 10 brands in terms of sales volumes for medium duty recorded this quarter were: Isuzu (925), Hino (494), Fuso (173), Iveco (29), Hyundai (27), Mercedes-Benz (21), Volvo (19), DAF (12), MAN (9) and SEA Electric (7).
Light duty
(cab-chassis type vehicle with GVM of 3,501kg to 8,000kg inclusive)
The news is not so bright for the light duty market this quarter with it showing a drop of 20.3 per cent. The results of 3,129 sales for the quarter fell 793 trucks short of the 3,922 light duty trucks sold in Q1, 2023.
In the light duty category the top 10 sellers so far this year are: Isuzu (1420), Fuso (516), Hino (506), Iveco (302), Mercedes-Benz (159), Fiat (107), Hyundai (49), Renault (35), Ford (12) and Foton Mobility (12).