Van sales increased by 27% in March and by 31% overall for the first quarter of the year, compared with last year's figures.
Reports also suggest that heavy truck sales were up 11.2% in March, and up 29.2% year on-year.
Further investigation reveals that purchases were focused on large 3.5-tonne vans as well as three-axle articulated tractors. Medium-weight rigid trucks, however, remained at similar levels of sales to last year.
Sue Robinson, director of the RMI National Franchised Dealers Association, comments: "It is refreshing to see continuous improvement in the commercial market, after a long period of very slow sales in the commercial vehicle sector."
