There was a small volume drop across most sectors in August, though buses dropped 17%.

Christopher Macgowan, SMMT chief executive, said: 'August's figures confirm record breaking demand for new commercial vehicles.

'August saw a pause in the recent long-running growth trend, but its impact was small.'

He added: 'We shouldn't read too much into future trends from August’s results. The registration plate change in September means many operators wait for the new plate and its effect on residual values. This is illustrated by the fact that September CV registrations are now about two and a half times those of August.'

The CV registration figures confirm record business demand for freight transport, with the heavy van sector still driving the record figures. This follows a big change in van and truck use patterns and the CV fleet over the past four years.