As the end of the financial year quickly advances, the new truck delivery numbers for May continue to push towards a record first half of the year.

With 4,528 units delivered in May setting a new record for May heavy vehicle sales, all segments except the light truck sector posted positive growth when compared to May 2023.

Heavy duty trucks

It was once again impossible to stop Volvo from leading the heavy duty market, with the global OEM recording 339 truck deliveries in the segment for May. The May deliveries take its yearly number to 1480 heavy duty sales to date, with Kenworth pushing hard in second place with 316 deliveries made in May.

Isuzu retained third place with 226 sales, while Scania (156) and Mercedes-Benz (102) rounded out the top five in the market with triple-figure numbers. From there, Mack (99) and UD Trucks (90) weren’t far behind, with the likes of Hino (72), Fuso (55) and DAF (49) helping contribute to a heavy duty sector that delivered 1615 new vehicles in May.

May’s numbers sees the heavy duty segment increase by 65 trucks, or 5.7 per cent, when compared to May 2023 sales.

Medium duty trucks

Isuzu improved yet again in the medium duty segment for May, topping the leaderboard with 404 deliveries for the month. The medium duty truck giant continues to go from strength to strength in 2024, having now delivered 1676 trucks in the sector so far in 2024 to nearly double the next best manufacturer.

Second place comfortable belonged to Hino with 203 deliveries made in May, with Fuso rounding out a distanced top three with 86 sales for the month. From there, Hyundai (15) and Iveco (10) were the only other brands to record double-figure sales for the month in a segment that recorded 750 new units delivered in May.

The medium duty sector once again performed well in May as a whole, increasing its delivery numbers by 9.2 per cent, or 91 units, when compared to the corresponding month last year.

Light duty trucks

A familiar face continued to dominate the light duty market, with Isuzu recording a whopping 658 sales in May to bring its year-to-date figure up to 2601. Having sold just over half of the entire segment’s vehicles in May, it’s no surprise that the next best brand, Fuso, dropped down to 186 sales for the month.

From there it tightened up, with Hino (145) and Iveco (127) all pushing for second place ahead of a pack that includes Mercedes-Benz (64) and Fiat (56).

The Truck Industry Council (TIC) says the light duty truck sales are “really struggling in 2024” when compared to the other market segments.

“May was another strong month for heavy vehicle sales, with all except the light duty segment posting gains over May 2023,” TIC CEO Tony McMullan says.

“Those weaker than normal light truck sales are tempering the overall heavy vehicle sales numbers in 2024, however the market still looks set for a new first half year sales record, with just June sales to come.”

Vans

Mercedes-Benz continued to lead the way in the van market in May, recording 312 deliveries to bring its 2024 figures to 1272. It stayed clear of Ford, who snagged second spot with 213 May sales, while Renault completed the top three with 146 vehicles sold in May.

From there, Volkswagen (85), Fiat (62) and Iveco (38) completed the smaller market, which contributed 856 sales for the month.

Overall

These segment sales mean Isuzu remains clearly on top of the overall truck sales market in Australia, with its 1288 May sales meaning it has now recorded 5271 for the year so far. Hino sits in second place having just surpassed the 2000 mark for the year with 420 sales in May, while Volvo sits narrowly in third spot with 1517 for the year, just eight ahead of Fuso.

Kenworth completes the top five with its 316 May deliveries giving it 1302 for the year so far, with the likes of Iveco, Mercedes-Benz and Scania all close behind in an even market.

TIC is now looking forward to a busy June to round out the financial year.

“The month of June is typically a strong month for trucks sales as we reach the end of our financial year and the signs are all positive that we will reach the halfway point of 2024 with a result that will rewrite the record books for heavy vehicle sales in Australia,” McMullan says.

“These strong sales are a good indicator that business confidence remains strong in the road freight sector.”