There is some good news from the latest truck sales figures for April 2021 as an upward trend continues, giving us a picture of an economy moving forward. Truck sales figures are often an indicator of overall confidence among businesses, and, so far, there seems to be secure growth in prospect.
The overall number of trucks sold in April was 3215, well up on 2302 at the same point last year, and even eclipsing the 2943 total from April 2019.
Different segments of the market are responding differently to the current economic climate. Heavy duty trucks are not going gangbusters with the overall total of 929 up on last year’s total of 809, but down on 2019’s 1006.
Medium duty figures are equally lacklustre with the April sales total at 564, up on the pandemic driven 417 of last year, but down on the 595 sold in April 2019.
All of the heat seems to be at the lighter end of the market, with the April 2021 light duty truck sales totalling 1113, well above both 2020’s 706 and also 2019’s 839 figures.
The heavy duty segment figures always make interesting reading with Kenworth hitting the 200 mark exactly and Scania leap-frogging Volvo into a surprise second place with 131 truck sales, 25 ahead of its Swedish rival.
Kenworth’s total for the year so far is well up on the depressed figure for last year, but below the year’s total at this point in 2019, 697 compared to 746 two years ago. Volvo’s total for the year so far, at 420 is 51 trucks below the 2019 figures, but 138 below the same point last year, after a manic first quarter to 2020 for the Swedish truck maker.
Medium duty truck sales figures see the usual suspects, the four Japanese truck makers, dominate the ratings. Meanwhile in light duty truck sales figures, Isuzu continues to reassert its dominance increasing its market share to over 40 per cent for the year in April.
