New van registrations rose by 11.1% to 10,344 in August, taking the total gain for the year so far to 9.4%, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

A rise in truck registrations (goods vehicles over 3.5t) helped cancel out losses in the first half of this year and means that total commercial vehicle registrations so far in 2013 are up by 7% on the same period in 2012:

Data courtesy of SMMT (www.smmt.co.uk)

The graph below shows how van, rigid truck and artic sales have changed since the end of 2009. The picture presented by this graph is fairly positive … :

Truck and van registrations 2009 to August 2013 (courtesy of SMMT)

… but SMMT appears to have fallen victim to the temptation to put a positive spin on its statistics. Until a few months ago, the graph above, which is issued every month, included van and truck registrations from the end of 2007. These have now been removed, and a glance at the graph below suggests why this is.

In this graph from November 2012, we can see that van registrations remain approximately 30% below 2007/8 levels at the moment, while rigid truck registrations are down by around 25% from their 2008 peak. Artic registrations have remained more robust, but the picture is still concerning, as it suggests that smaller business — typical users of vans and light trucks — have struggled to survive and grow, something which is likely to inhibit wider economic growth and recovery:

Van and truck registrations Dec 2007 – Nov 2012 (courtesy of SMMT)

Despite the poor comparisons with pre-recession levels of van registrations, iIt is certainly good news that van registrations rose by 11.1% in August, and that truck sales started to recover from the falls we have seen so far this year.

What’s more, SMMT Commercial Vehicle Manager Nigel Base believes there is more good news to come during the second half of this year:

“The commercial vehicle industry can take heart from a respectable performance in August with customers boosting registrations by almost 15%. For vans, August is always a quieter month ahead of the September plate-change but the 9.4% year-to-date rise in volumes is set to be maintained through to year end. We predicted a turn-around in truck fortunes through the second half of this year and the robust performance in August is a signal that volumes should catch and pass 2012 totals.”

Let’s hope so.