Australia’s truck and van market improved through the second quarter of 2026, according to the Truck Industry Council (TIC). Total sales across all segments reached 10,394 units in the three months to June, a clear step up from the softness that defined the opening quarter of the year.
June alone delivered 4,172 trucks and vans, the strongest single month of the quarter. May contributed 3,351 units and April 2,871, meaning each month built on the one before it rather than the quarter arriving all at once.
This report is based on official monthly data released by TIC and covers all major categories: Heavy Duty (HD), Medium Duty (MD), Light Duty (LD) and Light Duty Van (LDV), from April to June 2026.
Second Quarter Performance Shows Broad Recovery
Every major segment posted growth against the first quarter of 2026. Heavy Duty climbed from 3,005 units to 3,445, Medium Duty rose from 1,075 to 1,241, Light Duty increased from 2,630 to 3,044, and Light Duty Vans grew from 2,422 to 2,664. Total sales across all segments rose 13.8% quarter-on-quarter, from 9,132 units to 10,394.
The improvement built through the quarter rather than appearing all at once. Total sales rose 16.7% from April to May and a further 24.5% from May to June. That pattern is consistent with the lag TIC has previously flagged between orders and deliveries, suggesting some of the purchases deferred earlier in the year, before fuel prices spiked on the back of Middle East tensions, are now working their way through to the road.
Segment by Segment Breakdown
Heavy Duty Builds Momentum Through the Quarter
Heavy Duty recorded 3,445 units in the second quarter, up 14.6% on the 3,005 units sold in the first quarter. The gain built progressively month by month. April delivered 1,005 units, May 1,093, and June 1,347, a rise of 34% from the first month to the last.
June’s result stands out within Heavy Duty’s own quarter. A single month accounting for 39% of the segment’s quarterly volume points to either a genuine pickup in demand for prime movers and heavy rigid trucks, or a cluster of delayed deliveries landing at once.
That strong June did not translate into Heavy Duty pulling ahead of the rest of the market, though. Medium Duty and Light Duty grew at a similar or faster rate over the same quarter, and despite June’s performance, Heavy Duty’s share of total market sales moved only 0.2 percentage points to 33.1% in Q2 2026.
Medium Duty Recovers Gradual Ground
Medium Duty sales reached 1,241 units in the second quarter, up 15.4% on the first quarter’s 1,075 units. That first quarter figure marked a genuinely low base for the segment, which shapes how this recovery should be read.
Growth was steady rather than dramatic within the quarter, climbing from 360 units in April to 413 in May and 468 in June. Each month improved on the one before it without the sharp single-month jump seen elsewhere in the market. Medium Duty’s share of total sales moved only 0.2 percentage points, to 11.9%, suggesting the businesses that drive this segment are returning to the market gradually rather than all at once.
Light Duty Holds Steady Before a Late Surge
Light Duty rose to 3,044 units in the second quarter, up 15.7% on the first quarter’s 2,630 units, a pace of recovery close to Heavy Duty’s. The shape of that growth looked different. April and May were nearly flat at 888 and 900 units respectively, before June jumped to 1,256, a rise of nearly 40% on May alone.
Light Duty has previously shown more resilience than the larger segments during downturns, likely because these trucks often support essential rather than discretionary business activity. Two flat months followed by a sharp June increase suggest that resilience held through the softer part of the quarter before genuine new demand arrived. The segment’s share of the total market rose 0.5 percentage points to 29.3%, the largest share gain of any segment this quarter.
Light Duty Vans the Slowest Growth of All Segments
Light Duty Vans recorded 2,664 units for the quarter, up 10.0% on the first quarter’s 2,422 units, the smallest percentage gain of any segment.
The monthly pattern here was the most volatile in the report. April’s 618 units were followed by a jump to 945 in May, an increase of 53%, before June eased to a still healthy 1,101 units, up 16.5% on May. Vans continue to benefit from ecommerce and last-mile delivery demand; however, the segment’s comparatively slower growth this quarter meant its share of the total market actually fell, from 26.5% in the first quarter to 25.6% in the second. Vans grew in absolute terms while losing ground relative to the rest of the market.
Market Outlook Remains Cautiously Positive
Every segment grew in both absolute and percentage terms this quarter, something the market had not managed to do at once for some time. That is a genuine improvement on the first three months of the year.
However, it has not closed the full gap left by 2025’s downturn. Industry reporting on the same TIC data shows April’s total of 2,871 units remained 15.9% below the 3,416 units recorded in April 2025, and June’s 4,172 units were still short of the 4,888 sold in June 2025. Three months of consecutive growth have not yet returned the market to where it stood twelve months earlier.
The key question for the third quarter is whether June’s pace reflects a sustained recovery or a temporary catch-up as deliveries delayed earlier in the year landed at once. TIC has previously noted a lag of two to four months between orders and deliveries, meaning the third quarter’s results will largely reflect orders placed while fuel prices and business confidence were still under pressure.
Q2 2026 Truck Sales Performance Summary
The second quarter of 2026 recovered a meaningful part of the ground lost during a difficult start to the year. Heavy Duty, Medium Duty, and Light Duty each grew faster in percentage terms than Light Duty Vans, and each gained a small share of the total market as a result. Medium Duty’s recovery off a genuinely low base stands out as a sign that even the most pressured segment is finding some support.
None of this cancels out the scale of the correction that preceded it. On the numbers available, the market has recovered part of what it lost rather than returned to where it stood a year ago. The third quarter, covering July to September, will show whether this was the start of a genuine turnaround or a temporary rebound driven by delayed deliveries catching up at once.
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As 2026 continues, we’ll keep tracking trends across all heavy vehicle categories and market segments. In the meantime, read our other market reports for a complete picture of Australia’s automotive industry as the year develops, or get in touch directly to talk through what these numbers mean for your dealership or brand.
