WardsAuto: Truck sales post biggest gain of year
April’s new truck sales marked the 28th straight month of year-over-year gains, keeping the market ahead 29.9% ahead of like-2011performance for the year, according to a news story posted on WardsAuto.com. The volume of 28,437 units in April marked a 38.9% rise from the like-2011 level.
“Most of that gain came from the Class 8 sector, which saw a 56.2% jump to 16,905 trucks,” reported WardsAuto’s David E. Zoia. “But Classes 4-7 also recorded a healthy rise, combining for 11,532 units, up 19.4%. All Class 8 manufacturers saw high double-digit increases in April, with International’s 32.9% uptick the lowest in the segment. Both Pacarr and Daimler notched 60%-plus gains, accounting for a majority of the segment’s volume growth in the month.”
Zoia pointed out that the industry closed April with 40,482 Class 8 trucks in stock-- equal to a 57-day supply, which compares with 56 days’ supply and just 25,338 units year-ago. “Medium-duty inventories swelled to an 86-day supply on 41,376 units, from 70 days’ and 36,329 units at the end of March,” he added. “Year-ago, stocks stood at 29,573 Class 4-6 trucks, good for a 74-day supply.”
In a separate post, WardAuto’s Byron Pope reported that sales of medium- and heavy-duty trucks in Canada jumped 38.1% in April, marking the 25th consecutive monthly sales gain.
“All Class 8 manufacturers posted double-digit increases for the month,” noted Pope. “Standouts included Peterbilt, up 119.4%, and volume-leader Kenworth, up 81.8%. Through April, Canada big-truck sales were running 39.1% ahead of like-2011, to 14,176 units.”