WardsAuto: Truck sales score smallest gain of year

June 14, 2012
Through May, U.S. medium- and heavy-duty deliveries are up 29.1% compared to a year ago

Sales of new medium- and heavy-duty trucks in the U.S. were up 16.7% in May— marking the smallest sales bump of the year when compared with like-2011 numbers, according to a news story posted on WardsAuto.com.

While the May numbers “paled in comparison” with April’s 38.9% sales jump, WardsAuto noted that through May, medium- and heavy-duty truck deliveries were up 29.1% to 143,393 units, when compared with the prior-year’ figure of 111,061.

“A 24.6% plunge in Class 6 deliveries and an 8.3% uptick for Class 7 tempered the strong growth of Classes 4, 5 and 8 last month, WardsAuto data shows, wrote Christie Schweinsberg in her report. “Class 8 saw a 25.1% increase across the entire segment. Daimler’s Western Star [brand] led with sales soaring 95.6%, while the Volvo Truck brand’s 14.3% rise was the smallest gain in the group. Medium-duty deliveries grew 7.3%. Class 7’s number-two volume-seller, International, suffered a 16.9% decline, but Hino’s 95.5% surge put the group in the black.”

Schweinsberg also pointed out that Class 4’s sales gain of 44.4% was the largest of any medium- or heavy-truck group. “Despite’s losses by Ford, down 96.4%, and Daimler, off 29.2%,” she added, “strong performances by the remaining sellers pushed the group into positive territory. Sales of Isuzu imported models jumped 81.7% and International’s climbed 66.6%.”

Meanwhile, north of the border, truck sales were on fire. In a separate news report, Schweinsberg related that Canadian medium- and heavy-duty truck deliveries in May rose 30.1%, maintained their positive momentum.

Heavy-duty sales in Canada were the big winner, rising 38.7%  “on the strength of increases at all manufacturers except International, down 2.2%,” noted Schweinsberg.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of FleetOwner, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

The Road Ahead: 2025 Trucking and Fleet Insights

Discover how fleet operators are impacted by challenges like driver onboarding delays and complex compliance, and the critical need for technology to boost efficiency and cut ...

Driving Growth: How to Manage More Freight

Ready to grow your trucking business? Whether you have 25 or 200 trucks, this guide offers practical tips and success stories to help you expand with confidence. Discover how ...

How to Maximize Fleet Management with Vehicle Bypass

Join us on February 18th to learn how truck weigh station bypass systems boost fleet performance and driver satisfaction.

Optimizing your fleet safety program using AI

Learn how AI supports fleet safety programs with tools for compliance monitoring, driver coaching and incident analysis to reduce risks and improve efficiency.