All truck categories – Heavy, Medium and Light Duty – posted gains over July 2021 sales. But the Truck Industry Council (TIC) said that, as has been the case all year, van sales were significantly down again in July. 

Despite the lower van numbers, total July 2022 sales pushed the month’s total deliveries to a new record, with 3494 heavy vehicles sold. 

“This surpassed the previous best July mark of July 2018, when 3344 trucks and vans were sold,” the TIC said in its report.

“Sales were comfortably ahead of July last year by six per cent, that is an increase of 198 vehicles for the month. Total heavy vehicle sales year-to-date are running five per cent above last year (1165 vehicles) and 4.4 per cent (1067 Vehicles) above the record year of 2018, at the end of July.”

The head of the TIC Tony McMullan said: “We saw record sales in the first half of 2022, culminating in a new June 2022 truck sales record. 

“However, July is typically a slow month for truck sales, coming off strong sales that we witness at the end of the financial year every June.

“So, it is very encouraging to see that July 2022 heavy vehicle sales set a new monthly record and have continued the sales growth that we saw in the first half of this year. This is a great start to quarter three and the back half of the year.”

The Heavy Duty Truck segment continued a very positive year-long trend with a total of 1067 trucks delivered, up 4.5 per cent or 46 trucks, compared with July 2021.

TIC said that on a year-to-date basis, the results were even more encouraging with Heavy sales tracking up 17.2 per cent over those of the same period in 2021. 

“In terms of actual truck numbers, the sales gap is now 1172 more Heavy trucks sold year-to-date than in 2021,” the TIC’s report said. 

“Medium Duty Truck sales have been very consistent thus far in 2022, with the month of July being another steady, double digit percentage increase over the July 2021 result.

“There were 593 Medium Duty trucks delivered last month, up a solid 11.0 per cent or 59 trucks more than July 2021 sales. 

“Year-to-date the picture is slightly stronger when compared to 2021 with 4554 Medium trucks delivered to the end of July 2022, representing an 11.9 per cent increase over 2021. That amounts to 483 more Medium trucks sold this year.”

The report also showed that Light Duty truck sales have had solid “but not spectacular” results in 2022.

For July, Light Duty truck sales were up over those of July last year by 14.6 per cent with a total of 1377 sales, 175 more than in July 2021. 

“Year-to-date Light Duty truck sales are not tracking quite at that rate, although still in the double percentage figures,” the TIC said.

“Sales are up 10.2 per cent over the same period to the end of July last year, that equates to 822 more Light trucks sold so far in 2022.”

The TIC said that the Light Duty Van segment has seen a “significant retraction” in sales compared to the sales of 2021. 

“Year-to-date the tally is down over last year by 30.8 per cent,” it said.

“This amounts to 1312 fewer van sales to the end of July 2022 compared with the same period last year. 

“The fall in sales is predominantly due to supply chain issues in Europe, the primary source market of these vans.”

Looking at the month of July 2022 in isolation, van sales were down by 15.2 per cent – or down 82 vans. That is about half the year-to-date percentage decline of 30.8 per cent

“This may indicate an improving supply chain, however we will have to await the van sales results over the next couple of months to ascertain if this July result is an improving trend, or simply a one-month aberration,” the TIC said.

The TIC is the peak body representing all suppliers of on-road heavy vehicles in Australia with its members representing 17 truck brands currently on sale in Australia, plus four truck engine and major component brands.

By Neil Dowling