Truck, vans and bus sales had their third best monthly total recorded in 2011 so far.
However, like with agricultural tractors sales this year, most of the 1 335 extra heavy trucks sold in October 2011 would have been orders placed by fleet operators anxious to avoid the impact of a weaker rand on the price fully imported units.
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| Like the raise in tractor sales, the record-high truck sales for the past two months show farmers and industry don't trust where the rand and business are heading. |
So we have now have a new way to translate truck sales - no longer is it a good reflection of business confidence, in fact, its baaaaad.
I'd go so far as to say the last two months' worth of high sales figures signal that local industry expects the rand to stay subdued and rail to be dysfunctional until 2013.
Supporting me in this view is no less than the vice president of Hino in South Africa, Dr Casper
Kruger, who said: "with the construction sector in decline the high number of truck sales reinforces the absolute and growing dependence of the South African economy on road transport for the long-distance movement of goods and commodities, both within and across the country’s borders", adding that "recent volatility in the exchange value of the rand and daily fluctuations in the international oil price have created great uncertainty for local hauliers".
Kruger, who said: "with the construction sector in decline the high number of truck sales reinforces the absolute and growing dependence of the South African economy on road transport for the long-distance movement of goods and commodities, both within and across the country’s borders", adding that "recent volatility in the exchange value of the rand and daily fluctuations in the international oil price have created great uncertainty for local hauliers".
