Commercial vehicle sales climbing

Everything, it seems, is still functioning in top gear as the year races towards its end … truck sales have remained solid during October with 2 876 sales having been recorded – a month-on-month growth of 4,7 percent.

According to the latest combined results released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), Associated Motor Holdings (AMH) and Amalgamated Automobile Distributors (AAD), this means that the truck market is now 2,09 percent up on year-to-date results over the same period in 2013.

“As has been the case for most of the year, the growth was achieved on the back of impressive results in the extra-heavy commercial vehicle (EHCV) and bus segments,” says Rory Schulz, acting managing director of UD Trucks Southern Africa.

The EHCV segment grew 6,84 percent in October, resulting in 9,02 percent year-to-date growth, to reach a total of 11 833 units so far in 2014. The top growth was in the heavy-construction, inter-regional and long-haul sub-segments.

A strong recovery in heavy commercial vehicles has emerged, showing positive year-to-date growth, for the first time in five months, of 1,09 percent (4 448 units). Sales in the medium commercial vehicle segment, however, declined by 6,51 percent, over the first ten months of 2014, to 8 942 units.

Although the bus segment declined by 5,13 percent last month, its year-to-date growth is standing at an impressive 15,15 percent, reaching a total of 1 011 units. This is, of course, coming off a low base.

Schulz adds: “While the current difficult trading conditions are expected to persist in the short term, the truck market has continued to outperform expectations and is likely to achieve moderate growth on 2013’s sales results.”