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7.4-7.5 tonnes WHILETHE TOTAL truck market above 3.5 tonnes was
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up by 7.1%, the 75-tonne sector once again failed to keep pace with the market. Registrations were down 0.4% on 2002, which in real terms equates to a 7.5% fall against the market trends. Ever since the driver licensing changes came into effect in the mid-'90s, requiring drivers of 7.5-tonners to hold an HGV licence, the pundits have expected this sector to contract. There are signs that this is now beginning to happen, although not as quickly as many predicted.
The traditional 7.5-tonne sector remains the second biggest truck market in the UK, although with a booming 'big' van market it's difficult to see where any further expansion will come from.
Having said that, a market of 12,689 is a sizeable chunk and there's plenty of manufacturers gunning for a slice of the action. Interestingly, the top three in the sector Iveco, Daf and Mercedes have all seen their sales drop from 2002 levels. Iveco suffered particularly heavily as a result of low stock availability with the introduction of a new model range. MAN, Renault and Mitsubishi were the big winners here with MAN particularly worthy of mention. The company's ageing L2000 range is hardly going to set the world alight for product excellence, but it keeps on selling. Our understanding is that the German manufacturer has been particularly keen on pricing with its lightweight, scooping some big rental deals along the way. While this business may not be highly profitable it has certainly brought in some enviable share improvement. Watch out for a glut of used L2000s in about three years' time...