The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reported that total commercial vehicle registrations in the UK rose 12.6 in May. Sales for 2014 are up a total of 14.5 percent.

Van sales were even higher, posting an 18.4-percent growth in May and an overall yearly growth of 13.3 percent. Truck registrations slid in May, down 20 percent over the previous month.

The strong showing by vans have helped the market post positive growth, according to the SMMT.

“The van sector rose 18.4 percent in May, a solid performance that was pleasing to see after a -0.6 percent blip in registration levels last month,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive. “Vans continue to perform in-line with SMMT’s expectations for the year, while trucks lag behind 2013 levels as the effect of switching to new Euro-6 compliant models is ongoing. It is likely that 2014 truck volumes will fall behind last year’s total, while new van introductions should sustain this part of the market.”