But sales in this segment were not enough to sustain the total market for the first three months of calendar year 2019, which saw total new truck sales fall from the record levels recorded for the same period in 2018.

However, despite the weakening medium, light truck and light van segments – tracking around six to seven per cent down on 2018 results – the first-quarter result is still the second best on record, only beaten by the January-to-March results from 2018.

Kenworth Trucks

Year to date, a total of 8318 trucks and vans have been delivered in Australia.

This is a decrease of 357 units over the same period last year, a 4.1 per cent backwards step. Looking just at the month of March 2019 in isolation, 3296 vehicles were sold, a decrease of 151 trucks (4.4%) over March 2018.

The heavy-duty truck segment recorded 1185 sales in March, marking a 0.9 per cent increase (+11 units) on the corresponding month last year.

The first-quarter result is not quite as good, but still in positive territory with 2915 HD sales for the year to date, representing just a 0.4 per cent (+12 units) increase over quarter one 2018 and a new record for heavy truck sales for a first quarter.

The medium-duty segment posted solid sales in 2018, however the segment is losing more ground than any other this year.

Last month saw total MD truck sales of 664, down 10.5 per cent (-78 units) on March 2018. To the end of the first quarter, 1651 MD trucks have been delivered, down 6.6 per cent (-117 units).

Light-duty truck sales – those with a GVM between 3500kg and 8000kg – saw record sales in 2018, but results this year have not been as strong.

March saw sales for the small end of the truck market slide in line with the trend seen year to date, with 941 light trucks delivered for the month, down 5.3 per cent (-53 units). For the quarter, LD truck sales lag those of the same period last year by 6.6 per cent (-169).

LD van sales were solid throughout 2018, leading to a new segment record by year-end 2018. But van sales in 2019 have fallen away from the levels seen last year.

The segment posted modest sales in March with a total of 506 units, down 5.8 per cent (-31 units) compared with March 2018. The first-quarter tally is tracking down by a similar percentage, with 1346 vans delivered so far in 2019, down 5.8 per cent (-83 units) compared to the end of March 2018.

Truck Industry Council chief executive Tony McMullan said in a statement: “Given the potential financial market volatility that is typically associated with a federal election, the current heavy vehicle market’s strength and resilience will no doubt be tested over the course of the next few months.

“The surprise continues to be the heavy truck segment that is in line, or slightly ahead of the record sales that we saw for this segment last year. It should be noted that even with the mid and bottom end of the market softening, truck sales to the end of March are the second best on record.”

By John Mellor

Isuzu Trucks