The average age of a commercial vehicle in Ireland now sits at 9.28 years according to vehicle history experts Cartell.ie. With statistics showing that the commercial fleet has aged by six months in the last year these vehicles are now, on average, a year older than those in the private sector.
The reason for the aging fleet is mooted as cost. The recession has stopped many businesses buying brand new vehicles, demonstrated by a massive decline in new registrations a few years ago. Cartell.ie reports that over 45,000 new commercial vehicles were registered in Ireland in 2007; however, 2009's figures dropped to below 10,000 units - a low point that hasn't been seen since 1997. Sales have yet to make a recovery.
With the increased running costs of older vehicles, road worthiness quickly becomes a concern. In response to this the Irish Government has released Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Certificate information to the public for the first time. Buyers are strongly encouraged to walk away from any used commercial vehicles that don't have one of these certificates. In addition, the Road Safety Authority now oversees commercial vehicle testing on a daily basis.
As well as the aging fleet, Cartell.ie has also released information as to the most popular commercial vehicles in Ireland. At the top is the Ford Transit with almost 50,000 of them on Ireland's roads. This figure is more than twice that of the second most popular vehicle, the Toyota Land Cruiser. Also listed are the Volkswagen Caddy, Citroen Berlingo and the Mitsubishi Pajero as Ireland's favourite working vehicles.