Trucks sales remained solid during October, recording a 4.7% month-on-month growth to record 2 876 sales. Meaning, the truck market is 2.09% up on 2013’s year-to-date results over the same period. This is according to the latest combined results released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), Associated Motor Holdings (AMH) and Amalgamated Automobile Distributors (AAD).

Rory Schulz, acting managing director of UD Trucks Southern Africa, says, “As has been the case for most of the year, the growth was achieved on the back of impressive results in the Extra Heavy Commercial Vehicle (EHCV) and Bus segments.”

EHCV grew 6.84% for the month resulting in a 9.02% year-to-date growth, to reach a total of 11 833 units so far in 2014. A strong recovery in Heavy Commercial Vehicles has emerged, showing positive year-to-date growth for the first time in five months at 1.09% (4 448 units). Sales in the Medium Commercial Vehicle segment, however, declined by 6.51% over the first ten months of 2014, to 8 942 units.

When one breaks down the month’s sales statistics, the top growth sub-segments in the EHCV segment were heavy construction, inter-regional and long-haul. These results can be attributed to a recovering economy and the development of several key infrastructure projects.

In addition, the Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) recovered to 50.8 in September, and to 51.8 in October.

Adds Schultz,“This was the first time that the PMI rose above 50 in five months, and another indication that there is an expansion in manufacturing activity following months of weakness. This also ties in with the HCV segment’s performance, which has reported two successive growth months in September and October.”

Concluding, “While the current difficult trading conditions are expected to persist in the short term, the truck market has continued to outperform expectations and is likely to achieve moderate growth on 2013’s sales results.”