An Interesting 2020 for the Light Commercial Delivery Van Market

With thousands of delivery vans and trucks onboarded and operating since 2016 in Transportify’s app-based logistics and trucking platform, the company has a unique view of the evolving market of light delivery vehicles. Here they share data about the changing mix of vehicles enrolled in Transportify and commentary on several external factors that affected such mix. 

Before launching Transportify in Manila, the team already knew that their flagship vehicle offered to customers would be the Mitsubishi L300FB as a delivery truck or delivery van. It has been the staple workhorse van for the Philippines for decades, serving both cargo deliveries and passenger transport. Even Transportify’s customers frequently associate them with the green-stickered L300 vans roaming around the metro even if the company has a much wider assortment of larger delivery trucks operating on its platform.

Over the last few years, the company observed that the market the mix of delivery vans in the market is evolving and that competition to the once-dominant L300 is growing. Transportify presents the following internal data:

1) Exhibit A: a chart showing the evolution of the share of onboarding in the L300/Van vehicle class for the top 4 manufacturers that comprise the most share.

2) Exhibit B: is the tabular representation of Exhibit A but with slightly more data.

EXHIBIT A:

Exhibit B:

The data shows the following:

1. The Mitsubishi L300, although still the most popular among driver-partners, decreased significantly in representation in the last few years. 
2. Delivery vans with a conventional van body, similar to the Toyota Hiace, have a material representation (44%, including Foton Transvan) in L300/Van vehicle class. 
3. The Hyundai H100 has the most notable growth in representation, which has gone from 4% in 2017 to 22% in 2019, capturing share primarily from the Mitsubishi L300. 

Some things that the company notes that aren’t readily apparent in the data are:

1. Chinese manufacturers are starting to gain some traction in the commercial van space, with Foton showing the fastest growth. Other manufacturers include JAC and BAIC.
2. The implementation of the Euro4 requirement of the Clean Air Act affected the mix, especially for the Mitsubishi L300. There are comments from driver-partners about not being able to purchase (due to inventory availability) or delaying purchase decisions to wait for the new Euro4 version.

The company is excited about several new developments this 2020, especially the eagerly awaited new Euro4 Mitsubishi L300 and Isuzu’s entry into the market with the Isuzu Travis. Isuzu has been the long-time market leader in commercial trucks here in the Philippines and Transportify is looking forward to seeing the Travis on the road, especially because the company already has many driver-partners using the Isuzu Travis in Indonesia, where it is known as the “Isuzu Traga.” On top of the eagerly awaited new models, the company is also closely watching the growth and market-entry of other delivery van models with FB body, namely the BAIC H5 and Dongfeng Captain T along with other smaller formats of delivery vans from Foton (Gratour) and Suzuki (Carry). 

Given all these developments, it is helpful to map out the market in terms of price with some anecdotal remarks from some of the company’s driver-partners in Exhibit C below.

Exhibit C

Observing that prices have increased significantly (almost 30%), some interesting questions to ask are:

1. Will the Chinese models experience more traction given that there is a more compelling price difference? Or will the strong reputations of the known brands prevail?
2. Will the Isuzu Travis compete more with the Hyundai H100 or will it take even more share from the Mitsubishi L300.
3. Given the increase in traffic congestion and smaller delivery drop sizes to convenience stores and restaurants, will the market eventually adopt even smaller delivery vehicles such as the Foton Gratour and the Suzuki Carry?

Transportify states that this analysis of the market intentionally omits reviews about vehicle specification/performance because they feel that it is a well-covered subject in the press. The point is that 2020 will be very interesting for this market and drivers stand to benefit from new options being introduced to the market.

FAQ

Q: How much income do L300s or other vans make when doing deliveries?

A: The amounts vary depending on the client or delivery requirements of clients. The main factors affecting this are time/distance and whether special handling is needed. Within Metro Manila, rates for 1 trip in a day could be between 1,500PHP to 3,000PHP. Full-time delivery vans, such as the L300, that operate on Transportify make between 80,000-170,000PHP in gross monthly bookings with a monthly average of 110,000PHP.

Q: Are the “China Brands” reliable?

A: There are more and more Chinese trucks and vans in the market. The verdict is not yet out and there are varying opinions from drivers. Feedback is mostly satisfactory and challenges often revolve around about availability parts but the price difference is quite compelling. 

Q: Why did the prices for these delivery vans increase substantially?

A: Prices have increased significantly due to compliance with the Clean Air Act which requires newer models of these vehicles to comply with Euro4 standards of emission. 

Q: What vehicle models are accepted in Transportify’s L300/Van vehicle class?

A: Transportify accepts the following vehicle models on its platform: Mitsubishi L300FB, Hyundai H100, Isuzu Travis, Kia 2700/2500, BAIC H5, Tata Super ace, Dongfeng Captain-T, Toyota Hiace, Nissan Urvan, Foton Transvan. All light trucks w/ FB Body are also accepted (NHR, QKR, Tornado, etc.)