Experian Automotive has announced that Ford Motor Company ranked highest in market share for all commercial vehicles at nearly 21 percent in Q2 2013, followed closely by International (17.5 percent) and Freightliner (15.6 percent). This analysis included all vehicles in gross vehicle weight (GVW) classes 4 ¬to 8, including semis, cement trucks, buses, delivery vans, utility vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, large pickups, and motorhomes. Interestingly, although Ford had a significant share of the medium-duty vehicle market (GWV 4 to 6) at 45.8 percent, it had a considerably smaller share of the heavy-duty market (GWV 7 to 8) at 6 percent.

“While the number of commercial vehicles on the road pales in comparison to the number of passenger cars and light trucks, as the data shows, the medium- and heavy-duty market is just as complex and is primed for growth opportunities,” said Marty Miller, senior manager for Experian Automotive. “As a result, we’ve added medium- and heavy-duty truck information to our Vehicles in Operation (VIO) database. Combined with our existing data on passenger cars, light trucks and motorsport vehicles, original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket part companies will now have a complete view of all vehicle types on the road.”

Additionally, the analysis showed that, due to lower new vehicle sales in recent years, the average age of all commercial vehicles in Q2 2013 was 11.9 years old. Further breakdown of the market showed the average age of all medium-duty vehicles was 11 years, while heavy-duty vehicles averaged 12.3 years.

Other findings from the analysis showed Cummins had the highest market share for engine manufacturers in the commercial vehicle market at 19.9 percent, followed by Caterpillar (15.4 percent) and Navistar (12.9 percent). Also of note, 82.9 percent of commercial vehicles were powered by diesel fuel, while 14.2 percent were fueled by gasoline. However, gasoline powered a significant portion of the medium-duty segment, as 46.7 percent of GVW class 4 vehicles, 25.9 percent of GVW class 5 vehicles and 28.5 percent of the GVW class 6 vehicles were powered by gasoline.

“Many commercial fleet and individual vehicle owners depend on these vehicles in their daily business activities, thus giving them incentive to purchase new vehicles or find replacement parts for their existing ones,” Miller said. “By expanding our database to provide manufacturers and aftermarket companies with geographical and segmented information about this niche market, they are able to make better business decisions.”