Truck sales rise 99% in March

Truck sales (five-tonne to 49-tonne) rose 99.3 per cent in March to 33,619 units, compared with 16,868 units during the same month last year, on the back of a low base effect of last year and an offer of 50 per cent depreciation allowance on fleet renewal before March 31, 2010, according to a report by the Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT).

Cumulative sales for the last financial year went up 37.6 per cent to 2,40,840 units, against 1,74,953 units in 2008-09. “The further huge push to truck sales came from preponed purchases of BS-II compliant trucks to ward off the hike in vehicle prices that would come with BS-III and BS-IV compliant vehicles,” IFTRT said.

According to IFTRT, while the surge in the manufacturing sector and increased cargo offering may keep the truck sales buoyant in 2010-11, the June quarter may witness some timidity in sales, after the government the deferred introduction of BS-III compliant emission norms to October 2010 for the entire country, except 13 cities where BS-IV norms were introduced yesterday.

Total sales of light commercial vehicles rose 50.1 per cent at 39,445 units, compared with 26,277 units in 2008-09, while intermediate commercial vehicle sales went up by 57.5 per cent at 43,640 units, against 27,716 in the comparable period.

Sales of medium commercial vehicles grew by 11.2 per cent at 47,454 units, compared with 42,657 units in the preceding financial year. Multi-axle vehicles registered a growth of 35.2 per cent at 92,332 units, compared with 68,281 units in the comparable period, while the tractor trailer sales jumped by 75 per cent at 17,569 units from 10,022 units in 2008-09.