The heavy commercial vehicle market is up by 23 per cent for the first five months of the year, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Registration of trucks over six tonnes stood at 16,523 for the year to date – up from 13,439 last year.
DAF took market leadership for the period with a 30 per cent share followed by Mercedes and Scania.
Growth has been driven strong demand for rigids. Registrations of rigids over 3.5 tonnes for the year to date were up 54 per cent at 13,777.
In contrast, demand for artics fell by eight per cent to 6,442.
The van market saw a return to growth in May, though for the year to date the market is down 11.7 per cent on last year.
Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive, said: “It’s too early to know if the change in fortunes for the van market is a sign of things to come, but coupled with the strong truck performance, it is a welcome signal of increased confidence across the commercial vehicle sector.”
