The truck market has been running at unprecedented heights over the past 12 months but, while hovering around record levels, has been showing signs of weakness so far this year and, apart from vans, demand stumbled in the latest month.

Sales in all truck categories (not including vans) were down on April 2018 results with the heavy vehicle market showing clear signs of slowing demand in 2019.

The month of April finished with a total of 2943 sales, down 208 vehicles or 6.6 per cent fewer than April last year. However, sales were still the third-best result for the month of April on record, after April 2018 (3151) and April 2008 (3076).

Year-to-date sales have now slipped to trail 2018 results by 565 units, down 4.8 per cent.

Heavy trucks sales for the year to date are tracking down 3.4 per cent over this time in 2018. That equates to 137 fewer heavy trucks sold than this time last year. Total sales thus far in 2019 for the heavy duty (HD) segment stand at 3922 trucks.

But in April, with a total of 1006 units HD trucks delivered, sales were down 13.0 per cent, or 150 fewer trucks, on April 2018.

The medium duty (MD) truck segment has struggled since the start of 2019 and April saw that trend continue, with 595 MD truck sales recorded – an 11.7 per cent loss (-79 units) over April 2018. The April result drags the year-to-date MD truck segment sales lower, now 8.1 per cent behind the same period last year (-197 units).

Light duty (LD) truck sales in 2019 have been consistent, but slow, when compared to 2018 results.

April saw more of the same with a total of 839 sales for the month. The LD truck segment was down 9.5 per cent or 88 vehicles over the corresponding month last year. Year-to-date, LD truck sales trail those of 2018 by 7.3 per cent, 257 fewer than in 2019.

Van sales at the end of the first quarter 2019 were down almost six per cent. But in April, 503 vans were sold, up a massive 27.7 per cent (109 vans) over April 2018.

This surge means the van segment is slightly ahead of YTD April sales over last year with total sales of 1849, up 26 vehicles (+1.4%) over this time last year which set a new record set for van sales above 3.5t GVM.

Tony McMullan, CEO of the Truck Industry Council, the peak industry body for truck manufacturers and importers in Australia, said the April result was not really a surprise.

“We have noted a cooling of truck sales in the medium and light segments so far this year and we expected that eventually this hesitation would affect the heavy truck sector too,” he said.

“What is unclear at this stage is if this is merely a market stumble and something that can be attributed to the usual economic uncertainty that always occurs in the lead-up to a federal election.”

By John Mellor