DAF Trucks has consolidated its position as market leader – the 21st year it has sat top of the charts - after registering 11,467 vehicles in 2015.

The performance comes as the overall market performed well above the expectations of most industry experts, particularly in the above-16-tonnes sectors.

There were 44,063 trucks above six-tonnes GVW registered in 2015, but more than 35,500 of those were above 16t GVW – with a strong three-axle tractor sector and multi-axle rigid sales feeding the buoyant construction market.

“With the single exception of the Euro 5 ‘pull-through’ year of 2013, not since 1988 has the heavy end of market been in such rude health," said Ray Ashworth, managing director of DAF Trucks.

“With our own forecast slightly skewed by an extraordinary overall market performance, we have ended the year on a high and maintained clear daylight ahead of our nearest competitors, and, indeed, increased our market share by 1.2 percentage points on 2014.

"We’re certainly looking good for 2016."

Last year was also a significant year for DAF Trucks in terms of its customers’ acquisition habits. More than 33% of all new DAF registrations in 2015 were financed through PACCAR Financial, while 43% of all new registrations were supplied with a DAF MultiSupport Repair & Maintenance contract.

On the dealer development front, DAF Trucks saw Imperial Commercials open a brand new, full-service facility in Swindon, while Chatfield’s in Birtley and Norscot in Dundee are the very latest DAF Dealers to open an authorised testing facility – taking the total of ATF locations in the DAF network to 55.