Heavy vehicles drive recovering truck market

Demand for three-axle tractor units and rigids over 16 tonnes gross weight pushed registrations of new trucks up by over 53 per cent in the first quarter of 2015.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show registrations of three-axle tractors increased by over 80 per cent to 3,969 compared to the first quarter of 2014, while rigids over 16 tonnes were up over 65 per cent to 2,849 – in an indication that the market is returning to some kind of normality following the ‘boom and bust’ of the Euro 6 introduction of 2013-14.

Of the major manufacturers, table-toppers DAF and third place Scania have both more than doubled volumes compared to this time last year with 2,185 and 1,508 registrations respectively, while municipal specialist Dennis Eagle has seen growth of over 300 per cent, having put 200 trucks on the road this year.

Second-place Mercedes is up over 75 per cent to 1,627, while Volvo in fourth has increased by over 76 per cent to 1,209.

Above average growth has to come at the expense of other manufacturers though, and fifth-place Iveco’s volume has fallen by over 11 per cent to 651, while Renault Trucks has fallen 40 per cent to 400.

MAN went up by nearly 49 per cent to 609.