HGV demand at highest since 2008

The new HGV (heavy goods vehicle) market has grown by 6.3% in the second quarter of 2017, according to figures by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

New truck registrations reached 11,771 in Q2, with year-to-date sales rising by 3.5%.

Heavy trucks made the largest gains, with 3+ axle artics rising 11.6%, while at the other end of the spectrum, lighter 6.0-16t rigids also saw significant growth – up 8.6%. Demand for rigids >16t and two axle artics, however, declined, with respective falls of -4.4% and -15.0%.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “Commercial vehicles are critical to keeping our country moving, and with all new trucks featuring low emission Euro VI diesel technology and some of the latest safety and autonomous features, it’s great to see more of them joining British roads. However, while manufacturers have benefited from an increase in orders in this particular quarter, given the varying nature of fleet renewal in the sector, it is vital that government works to maintain the conditions that will give operators confidence to invest.”

Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK managing director, Mike Belk, said: “It’s great that the UK truck market grew in Q2, and we’re delighted with our contribution.

"We’re happy with our market share, but we are more proud of our year-to-date results – we’re up 37%, against a market that has grown 3.5%. We’re pleased that more and more customers are trusting our proposition of low total costs, increased safety and maximised uptime, and our H1 performance is testament to the hard work of all our colleagues and Dealer network. We’re now looking forward to continuing this momentum into Q3, and finishing the year as strongly as we have started.”