Festive Demand Steadies Trunk Route Truck Rentals in August: Shriram Finance

Truck rentals on major national trunk routes remained firm in August 2026, supported by early festive dispatches and agricultural freight, according to the September edition of the Shriram Mobility Bulletin published by Shriram Finance.

Freight rates for an 18-ton payload remained largely stable to marginally positive on a month-on-month basis, while registering steady year-on-year expansion across key intercity corridors. The Delhi-Kolkata-Delhi route recorded a 15% annual increase to Rs 1,82,000, while rentals on the Bengaluru-Mumbai-Bengaluru and Kolkata-Guwahati-Kolkata routes rose 11% year-on-year to Rs 1,50,000 and Rs 1,63,000, respectively. Rates on the Delhi-Mumbai-Delhi corridor held flat sequentially at Rs 1,75,000, an 8% increase compared to August 2025.

Commenting on the industry dynamics, Sudarshan Holla, Joint Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Vehicles, Shriram Finance, said, "The onset of the festive season, led by Onam celebrations in Kerala, has boosted sentiment across the transportation sector. Freight activity remained robust, with truck rentals holding firm on major trunk routes."

Kerala's Festive Season Drives Two-Wheeler and Four-Wheeler Demand

The regional impact of the festival period was reflected in Kerala, where two-wheeler retail dispatches climbed 17.90% month-on-month and 19.09% year-on-year to 71,113 units in August. Four-wheeler registrations in the state stood at 24,076 units, up 9.30% compared to August 2025.

Nationwide Vehicle Retail Sales Rise Across Segments

Nationwide automotive retail data showed annual growth across major segments despite seasonal sequential moderation caused by weather disruptions. Retail registrations of goods carriers grew 18% year-on-year to 74,401 units, three-wheeler cargo vehicles rose 43% to 14,614 units, and passenger cars expanded 16% to 3,63,869 units. Motorcycle and scooter retail sales increased 20% year-on-year to 16,63,864 units.

Electric Vehicle Retail Sales See Sharp Annual Growth

Electric mobility registrations maintained strong annual traction across categories. Pure electric two-wheeler retails surged 90% year-on-year to 1,74,882 units, electric three-wheelers grew 98% to 54,130 units, and electric passenger cars rose 87% to 27,965 units.

FASTag Collections and E-Way Bill Data Point to Steady Freight Movement

Highway movement and transit metrics showed steady economic throughput. Total FASTag collection value stood at Rs 7,185.03 crore across 350.99 million transactions during August. Intra-state e-way bill generation for July reached 9.16 crore valued at Rs 19.44 lakh crore, while inter-state generation stood at 4.62 crore valued at Rs 16.84 lakh crore, up 26% and 25% year-on-year in value terms, respectively. In fuel consumption, petrol usage grew 7.9% year-on-year to 3.82 million metric tonnes, while diesel consumption rose 6.4% to 7.00 million metric tonnes.