A total of 30,432 trucks were registered in the first eight months of the year – up 38 per cent on last year, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
The strongest growth was for three-axle artics where registrations were up 58.1 per cent to 10,526. Demand for rigids over 16 tonnes was also strong with a rise of 48.7 per cent to 8,581.
Than van market was up 16.8 per cent for the year to date with 225,417 vehicles registered.
The market for small rigids (3.5t-6t) was particularly strong in August – up 70 per cent on August last year. For the year to date this sector was up 22.7 per cent at 5,392 registrations. The market for rigids 6t-16t as up 20 per cent at 4,897 units.
SMMT chief Mike Hawes said: “August’s registration figures are further evidence of the commercial vehicle sector’s return to form in 2015 after a year of regulatory upheaval. With certainty now restored, fleet renewal patterns are returning to normal, buoyed by the continuing growth in demand for online deliveries.”
