After a solid start to the year, there was a noticeable dip in new truck sales right across the board in April, reports the peak industry body representing truck manufacturers.
According to the Truck Industry Council (TIC) numbers released earlier this month, a total of 3416 new trucks were delivered, which is a 21.2 per cent decline (709 units) when compared with the same month in 2024.
It’s also the worst month for year-on-year sales so far in 2025 and shows that the market continues to retract in 2025, said TIC.
Year-to-date (YTD), however, the overall Australian truck market is tracking better, though still well down (-10.9 per cent) when compared to the end of April 2024.
“The April sales numbers in combination with the first quarter 2025 sales show that the heavy truck and van market is cooling this year,” said TIC CEO Tony McMullan.
“However, at the end of April, overall heavy vehicle sales were the third best on record, only bettered by the record sales years of 2023 and 2024.
McMullan also added that historically new heavy vehicle sales have always slowed in the run-up to a federal election, with businesses potentially waiting to witness the market reaction to the election result before committing to fleet replacements and/or business expansion.
“With the election result now known and with the Labor government returned, Australian businesses have a reasonable insight into the economic environment for the next three years,” he said.
“With that clarity, it will be interesting to watch the Australian economy and business confidence over the next few months.”
McMullan, however, cautioned that “happenings” in the US economy and the possibility of a US recession, may have the potential to weaken Australian business confidence in the coming months.
“We are in somewhat unchartered economic times globally and the effects on the Australian economy are equally unknow.
“It is difficult to predict how new Australian truck sales will perform for the rest of 2025. “However, if we keep tracking at, or above, the third best yearly sales result, 2025 may work out better than some commentators would have you believe.”
TIC said heavy-duty sales took the greatest hit, down a significant 28.4 per cent for the month, which equates to 440 less heavies delivered in April 2025 compared with those delivered in April 2024.
Volvo felt the pinch more than most, notching just 183 deliveries in April, down from 353 in the same month last year.
That brings its YTD total to 752 and a market share of 16.7 per cent, a noticeable slide from the same time in 2024 when it was on top with 1141 and 21.4 per cent of the market.
The Swedish giant now sits in third place on the sector table, 45 units adrift of Isuzu which again had a month to celebrate in a sector it’s historically played second fiddle to Kenworth and Volvo.
Isuzu’s 208 units for April moves it to 797 YTD, good enough for a 17.8 per cent market share.
Although falling slightly on its 2024 total for April of 285, Kenworth finished the month with a respectable 271 deliveries and has an early lock on the top sector slot yet.
Its YTD total is 1037, good enough for a 23.1 per cent market share, and well up on the 2024 numbers – 986/18.5 per cent market share.
In total 1110 heavy duty trucks were sold in April.
TIC said the segment is fairing a little better YTD, recording a total of 4490 sales to the end of April, down 15.9 per cent (-848) over the same first four months of 2024.
Having started the year in positive territory, sales in the medium-duty segment have fallen away as the year has progressed.
However, in April the sector performed better than any other, though still down on April 2024 sales.
A total of exactly 600 medium trucks were delivered, down 9.0 per cent (-59 trucks) over April 2024.
YTD the sector numbers look a little better, with the segment trailing the same period last year by just 5.7 per cent, or -136 trucks. A total of 2264 medium duty trucks have been sold so far in 2025 with overall leader Isuzu again in a dominant position on top.
TIC said the light truck segment took the bigger hit with sales of 872 representing a downturn of 25.0 per cent (-291 trucks) over the April 2024 result.
Although as seen across the other segments, YTD the segment is tracking better than the April result showed.
A total of 3800 lights have been sold so far in 2025, down 12.2 per cent (-526 trucks).