Hino Motors Ltd. of Japan managed to increase total sales of its trucks and buses by 1.5% to a record 168 798 units in the 2014/15 financial year to the end of March even though net sales income fell by 0.8% to US$15.5-billion.

Hino Motors Ltd. of Japan managed to increase total sales of its trucks and buses by 1.5% to a record 168 798 units in the 2014/15 financial year to the end of March even though net sales income fell by 0.8% to US$15.5-billion.

Hino sales volume in the Japanese domestic market grew by 5 685 units or 11% to 57 878 units in the period under review, with market share up for the fifth year in succession to a record 30%.

Sales outside Japan slumped by 3 128 units or 2.7% to 110 920 units on the back of stagnant economies in two of Hino’s most important markets, Thailand and Indonesia. However, sales in Africa rose by 8% to 6 840 units in the company’s past financial year.

Hino is looking to grow its total sales volume from 168 798 to 178 400 units in the 2015/16 financial year with a forecast growth of 10% in sales outside Japan going up to 122 000 units, while sales are expected to decline by about 1 500 units in Japan itself.