Despite high number, figures show slight slowdown in new truck and trailer registrations.
The number of prime movers in Australia has cracked the 100,000 mark for the first time.
September quarter truck registration figures show there are 100,129 prime movers on the road.
New prime mover registrations in the latest quarter – at 1,487 – outweighed retirements at 1,156, but were slightly down on new registrations in the June quarter.
And new prime mover registrations are still well down on the historic highs of 2007, as are new registrations of rigid trucks over 12 tonnes GVM (gross vehicle mass).
New registrations of trailers over 12t GVM in the September quarter this year totalled 2,879, also slightly down on the June quarter.
The total number of trailers registered in Australia now stands at almost 232,000.
In contrast to the picture with prime movers, new trailer registrations in 2012 and 2013 were at or above the previous high in 2008 (of almost 13,000).
Meanwhile there are more than 175,000 freight carrying rigid trucks registered in Australia; 51,000 non freight-carrying trucks; and 26,600 buses.
All up there are more than 585,000 heavy vehicles over 12 tonnes GVM.
The registration data is collated by the Australian Road Transport Suppliers Association (ARTSA), an industry body that brings together suppliers of parts and services.
ARTSA has this year begun supplying a quarterly update report on the truck, trailer and bus fleet based on registration data supplied by Austroads, the association of Australasian road transport and traffic agencies.
The ARTSA figures include a breakdown of total trailer registrations as at the end of September this year.
The tally is 150,000 semitrailers; 22,600 dolly trailers; 21,700 leads; 18,500 dogs; 11,000 pigs; and 7,000 others.
ARTSA also lists the average and median ages for the various heavy vehicle types.
For prime movers the average age is 12.3 years with a median of almost 10 years; trailers average 14 years with a median of 11; Rigid trucks are running at 17 and 15 years; and buses 12 and 10 years.
You can download the ARTSA statistics free here