In 2025, China National Heavy Duty Truck Group (SINOTRUK) dropped a bombshell on the industry by becoming the world’s number one producer and seller of heavy-duty trucks. Supporting this global pinnacle is its solid foundation of holding the top spot in China’s heavy-duty truck exports for 21 consecutive years.
Some might argue that large scale doesn’t equate to strength, and for SINOTRUK, a simple “yes” or “no” isn’t accurate. What I see is that SINOTRUK has already moved beyond the stage of being “large but not strong,” and is now in a period of rapid leapfrogging towards becoming “both large and strong,” having already made decisive progress. Although SINOTRUK has not yet fully achieved the comprehensive dominance of a world-class brand, this is only a matter of time.
SINOTRUK SITRAK TRUCK
SINOTRUK’s “Size” is itself a form of “strength”
From January to September 2025, SINOTRUK delivered a truly phenomenal performance:
Heavy-duty truck exports reached 111,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 24.5%.
September exports exceeded 15,000 units, setting a new monthly export record for China’s heavy-duty truck industry.
The annual export target is 150,000 units, five times the figure for 2020.
More than one million Sinotruk heavy-duty trucks are operating in over 150 countries and regions worldwide.
Sinotruk’s 21-year consecutive leadership in overseas markets is no accident.
Howo TX 6×4 Tipper Truck
First, what I see is that Sinotruk’s size is a reflection of its strength, not just a numbers game. Behind its position as the world’s number one in heavy-duty truck production and sales, and its 21-year reign as China’s number one exporter, lies a total revenue of US$22.89 billion and explosive growth across its entire product line (300% increase in new energy vehicles, 140% increase in light truck exports, and 35% increase in mining trucks). This demonstrates that its scale is diversified and resilient, rather than relying on a single product or market.
Moreover, Sinotruk’s size is built on a foundation of covering over 150 countries globally and possessing a market share of millions of vehicles. Such a massive scale could not be supported without strong product reliability, cost control, and supply chain capabilities. Secondly, there’s Sinotruk’s systematic layout. Its “size” is not only reflected in sales volume, but also in its global network of 30 KD factories, 44 representative offices, and over 300 dealers. This is a system built with heavy assets and a long development cycle. Strong parts supply and rapid after-sales service have created brand trust that inspires confidence and peace of mind – a hard power that many newcomers cannot build in a short time.
Howo TX 6×4 Concrete Mixer
“Value-driven competition” requires comprehensive support: avoiding price wars requires Sinotruk to possess strong service, parts, and brand guarantees sufficient to make customers overlook price differences. This system is Sinotruk’s deepest moat.
Therefore, Sinotruk’s success is a victory of long-termism over short-termism, and a victory of systemic capabilities over single-point advantages.
Therefore, the author believes that Sinotruk’s “size” is a quality-driven, systemically supported “size,” and this in itself is a form of “strength.”
Moreover, China National Heavy Duty Truck Group (SINOTRUK) is not merely “a leader in sales volume”; it is transforming its “size” (scale, network, market share) into a platform and springboard to becoming “strong.”
Howo TX 8×4 Dump Truck
SINOTRUK’s “Powerful Core”
At the Global Partner Conference, SINOTRUK Chairman Liu Zhengtao and General Manager Liu Wei clearly outlined its “powerful” core.
At the conference, Liu Zhengtao proposed that SINOTRUK should provide the global market with “commercial vehicle solutions with the highest technological content, the highest brand value, and the highest return on investment.” This signifies that SINOTRUK’s competitive logic has completely shifted from price wars to providing global customers with value enhancement throughout the entire product lifecycle.
Standing at the new starting point of becoming the world’s number one, SINOTRUK has drawn a clear roadmap for the future, the core of which is deep internationalization through “win-win across the entire value chain.”
By 2030, SINOTRUK plans to export 250,000 heavy trucks, 100,000 light trucks, 50,000 light vehicles, and 3,000 mining trucks. Its overseas aftermarket revenue target is $1 billion.
Howo TX 8×4 Tipper Truck
To achieve this goal, China National Heavy Duty Truck Group (SINOTRUK) has planned three strategic upgrade paths and a dual-brand value strategy:
Howo NX 6×4 Tractor Truck
HOWO consolidates its “high cost-performance ratio, high quality” positioning, becoming one of the world’s most trusted brands. SITRAK benchmarks against high-end European and American brands, achieving a value breakthrough and directly confronting the core battleground of brand premium.
Song Yang, General Manager of SINOTRUK International Co., Ltd., pointed out that SINOTRUK, relying on its three magic weapons—service, network, and localization—”no longer needs to focus its energy on price wars.” This indicates that SINOTRUK’s core competitiveness in overseas markets has shifted from a single product price to the ability to provide customers with “full lifecycle operational value.” This is a game rule that only the strong can choose.
Media Observation: China National Heavy Duty Truck Group’s Next Step
It can be said that China National Heavy Duty Truck Group’s (SINOTRUK) strength is not a potential future, but a current reality. In terms of scale, systems, application of new energy technologies, and competitive value in specific markets, SINOTRUK has already demonstrated formidable strength.
Whether it’s the global cooperation philosophy of “We are One” or the Chinese win-win wisdom of “small streams flowing, big rivers overflowing,” SINOTRUK’s core strategic direction for the next five years is to build a “win-win across the entire value chain” ecosystem, achieving the same premium pricing and global leading technology definition authority as world-class brands.
SINOTRUK’s next step not only concerns its own dream of becoming a century-old enterprise, but will also influence the overall positioning and potential of Chinese commercial vehicle brands in the global market.
