Truck rentals on most routes remained subdued in April 2025 despite increase in toll prices across the country, a Shriram Mobility bulletin said. A rise in goods movement, coupled with the movement of fruits, contributed to a slight positive trend in the freight market, according to the monthly report prepared by Shriram Finance Ltd, the flagship company of the Shriram Group.
Truck rentals showed healthy year-on-year growth, with the Kolkata-Guwahati-Kolkata route increasing by 14 per cent and the Mumbai-Chennai-Mumbai corridor rising by 8 per cent, according to the study.
The study, released on Saturday, aims to provide stakeholders with a picture of India’s statistical data about the logistics and automobile sector through its nationwide network of fleet owners, and vehicle dealers and analyses the trends.
While most of the truck rentals remained unchanged, the report stated that Delhi-Chennai-Delhi corridor saw a sharp month-on-month increase of 2.5 per cent while the Delhi-Bangalore-Delhi route recorded a decline of 1.6 per cent.
“Truck rentals remained subdued during April despite a 5 to 10 per cent increase in toll charges from April 1,” Shriram Finance Ltd CEO and Managing Director Y S Chakravarti said.
“The undercurrent however turned slightly better as the just concluded Rabi season was good. With the summer heat waves predicted, trucking activity could get slightly impacted,” he added.
Two-wheeler sales in April rose by 12 per cent month-on-month, driven by strong rural demand and improved connectivity. Sales of buses grew 4 per cent.
Sales of electric three wheelers grew by 5 per cent in April while EV two-wheelers witnessed a 30 per cent drop in sales. Sales of EV passenger cars declined by 4 per cent.
On a year-on-year basis, EV cars grew by 58 per cent, three-wheelers by 49 per cent, and two-wheelers by 40 per cent.
The report revealed that petrol consumption declined by 2 per cent in April while diesel consumption grew by 2 per cent due to higher industrial, mining and commercial activity.
