So says the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) following the release of SMMT van and truck registration figures for 2014 (click here to read more details), which show that the commercial vehicle market grew 11.0% to 363,155 units last year, the highest level since 2007.
The van market led the growth, with demand up 18.7% to 321,686 registrations for the year, whereas truck registrations fell -26.2% throughout the year due to changing legislation.
SMMT figures show that registrations for vans under 3.5t remained buoyant at 26.6%, meaning an additional 6500 vans were put on the road in December. Overall these light commercial registrations were up to pre-recession levels throughout the year with growth of 18.7%. This was due to the upturn in the economy, plus the increase in self-employed tradesmen and start-up business.
Sue Robinson, director of the NFDA, which represents commercial vehicle and franchised car retailers across the UK, commented: ‘The outlook for truck sales in 2015 looks brighter, compared to the decline in 2014 of -26.2% following the introduction of EU legislation that had a significant impact on the market.
‘Truck dealer reports indicate that there will be strong demand for new models in 2015, but concerns continue following delays by the DVSA to cope with Type Approval testing to be able to get these new trucks on the road for customers.
‘Van demand looks set to remain strong as the confidence and growth in the economy continues. The NFDA are anticipating a successful year from the commercial vehicle market.’