However the year-to-date figures to the end of July are still up 13.1 per cent over the same seven-month period of last year.

Truck Industry Council CEO Tony McMullan said that a lower sales result is expected for the month of July, but the amount of the drop in sales relative to July 2022 was potentially concerning. 

“Historically we witness a drop in heavy vehicle sales in the month following the financial year end, hence a lower July result is not unexpected,” he said.

“However, of some concern is the significant fall in new truck sales relative to the month of July 2022. A 9.0 per cent fall for July 2023, compared with July 2022, was not anticipated by industry in what has been a record-setting sales year thus far in 2023. 

“The end of the financial year also marked the end of the COVID-19 financial incentive commitments put in place by the previous federal government and honoured by the current Labor government. 

“Despite calls from industry for the delivery timeline for the incentive scheme to be extended for orders currently placed, the government did not agree and the program ended on June 30.

“I hope that the poor July sales were simply an aberration and not a sign that the government has misjudged how useful these financial measures were to the road transport industry. We shall see what the remaining months of 2023 determine.” 

Total heavy vehicle sales for July were 3181 units, down 9.0 per cent (313 vehicles) over the same month last year, however total sales year-to-date to the end of July still lead those of 2022 by a healthy 13.1 per cent. 

The Heavy Duty Truck segment remained strong in July, though down on the record breaking sales seen in the first half of 2023. In total 1105 Heavy trucks were delivered, up 3.6 per cent, or 38 trucks, on July 2022. Year-to-date the result is looking much better with Heavy sales tracking up 23.2 per cent over those of the same period in 2022.

In terms of actual truck numbers, the sales gap is now 1854 more Heavy trucks sold year-to-date in 2023, thanks to the record breaking quarter-one and quarter-two sales results. 

TIC said that Medium Duty Truck sales have been solid, but not spectacular, thus far in 2023 and that trend continued in July.

The Australian Medium Duty market ended the month of July with 563 sales, this is up 1.3 per cent (7 units) over July 2022, TIC said.

Solid results for much of the first half of 2023 has seen the Medium Duty segment stay ahead of 2022 sales and year-to-date the Medium market remains up over last year by 3.7 per cent, with an additional 161 trucks sold to the end of July.

“The Light Duty truck segment was a real disappointment in July, slowing considerably more than any other segment,” the TIC said.

There were 1064 Light Duty trucks delivered last month which was down 24.8 per cent – or 350 trucks – compared with July last year. 

Year-to-date Light Duty truck sales are faring much better, up over the same period last to the end of July 2022, by 767 trucks (up 8.5 per cent). 

“However, another two months of sales as we have just seen in July 2023, would see that advantage erased,” TIC said in its report.

The Light Duty Van segment had been recovering sales lost during the pandemic years where supply chain issues significantly affected the segment. 

However, the month of July saw sales retreating again. Light Duty vans posted a total of 449 sales in July 2023, down 1.8 per cent, or 14 units less than July 2022. 

Year-to-date the tally looks better for the Van segment with a total of 3363 van sales, up exactly 14.0 per cent over 2022 results. That amounts to 413 more vans sold year-to-date in 2023.

By Neil Dowling