China’s heavy truck market kicked off 2026 with strong momentum. In January, sales topped 105,000 units, up 46% compared with the same month last year, marking a highly valuable “strong start” for the new year.

Heavy Trucks Hit 105,400 Units – Ten Months of Consecutive Growth

Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) shows that China sold a total of 323,500 trucks in January 2026, covering heavy, medium, and light trucks. This is 28% higher than January 2025, but 10% lower than December 2025.

Of this total, heavy trucks alone accounted for 105,400 units, up 46% year-on-year and 3% month-on-month. This extends a streak of ten consecutive months of year-on-year growth.

Looking at the past decade (excluding 2026), average January heavy truck sales were around 94,100 units. Six of those years exceeded 90,000 units, and three surpassed 100,000 units. January 2026’s 105,400 units rank fourth over the past ten years and represent the highest January sales in the last five years. After peaking at 183,400 units in January 2021, January sales had stayed below 100,000 for four consecutive years, making this rebound particularly notable.

Sinotruk Tops, FAW Trucks Surpasses 20,000, Dongfeng and Foton Post Double-Digit Gains

Five companies sold more than 10,000 heavy trucks in January. Sinotruk led the market with 29,100 units, followed by FAW Trucks at 20,500 units. Shaanxi Auto, Dongfeng, and Foton sold 16,200, 15,200, and 14,600 units, respectively, taking third through fifth place.

The top ten companies together captured 98.3% of the market, with the top five holding 90.8%. Each of the top five secured over 10% market share: 27.6%, 19.5%, 15.4%, 14.5%, and 13.8%. XCMG ranked sixth with 4,000 units (3.8%), while the remaining companies, including Yutong, Chery, JAC, and Shandong Leichi, sold between 791 and 1,332 units, each holding under 2% of the market.

Nine of the top ten companies achieved double-digit growth, outperforming the overall market. Dongfeng, Foton, XCMG, Yutong, and Chery surged 83%, 86%, 95%, 60%, and 47% year-on-year, while Sinotruk, FAW Trucks, and Shaanxi Auto grew 37%, 32%, and 30%. Foton and XCMG maintained their growth streak from 2025, when both achieved 12 consecutive months of year-on-year gains.

Market Rankings Shift, Competition Intensifies

January also saw changes in the top ten rankings. Chery returned to the top ten at eighth place, up from 15th in December. FAW Trucks moved up two spots to second, Yutong rose to seventh, and JAC climbed to ninth. Only Sinotruk (first), Foton (fifth), and XCMG (sixth) maintained their December positions. These shifts show the heavy truck market’s competitive landscape is already heating up at the start of 2026.

The last four months of 2025 saw heavy truck sales consistently exceed 100,000 units. January 2026 continued this strong momentum with 105,400 units, up 46% year-on-year – the best January in five years. Whether the market can sustain this growth in the coming months remains to be seen.