New van sales remain buoyant - yes!

Last week, I read with interest (and pleasure!) that new van sales had tipped the third highest level ever recorded during first six months of a year.

According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) between 1st January and 30th June this year, 191,513 new light commercial vehicles (this figure includes vans, pick-up trucks and commercial 4x4s) were registered here in the UK. This apparently equates to a rise of 75.9% on the first half of 2020 which, as we all know, was affected heavily by Covid-19.

The SMMT highlights that the increase was supported by operators renewing and expanding fleets in order to meet the exponential rise and uptake in online deliveries (undoubtedly influenced by the pandemic) alongside the ongoing requirements of the construction sector.

Ongoing issues with the supply of semiconductors was also discussed in the article, something that actually worked in our favour. The global shortage of this key component affected new light commercial vehicle sales and created an increase in the overall demand for used vans – one of our specialities as you know! We are certainly experiencing a competitive used market with prices strengthening as we have referred to in previous posts.

This buoyancy in the market is excellent news not only for View Truck & Van, but for the thousands of people employed in the wider truck and van industry and, of course, our customers. It’s also heartening to know that the industry that has been part of my life for more than four decades is bouncing back in a big way.

Performance, business confidence and success go hand in hand so, as long as we continue to support each other and work together for mutual benefit, I can only see even more encouraging stats on the horizon for the second half of 2021.