New Class 8 truck sales in the United States continued an upward trend in April with total sales of 24,024 compared with 22,834 in March, an increase of 5.2%.
Sales during the first four months of 2019 total 86,908 units as compared with 69,479 for the same period in 2018, a hefty 25.1% increase.
Sales in April 2019 also bested April 2018 by 26.8%
While the increases seemed to indicate that total 2019 sales would top the 250,627 totaled in 2018, orders for new Class 8 trucks have been down in recent months.
The two major organizations that report on and analyze commercial vehicle data both said year-over-year Class 8 orders were down sharply in April.
ACT Research said preliminary North America Class 8 net order data show the industry booked 14,800 units in April, dropping a moderate 6.2% from March, but down 57% from year-ago April.
FTR reported preliminary North American Class 8 orders for April at 16,400 units, 52% below April 2018, noting April is the fourth consecutive month for Class 8 orders to be below the 20,000 mark and is the lowest April total since 2016.
The Western Star brand showed the biggest increase from March to April with sales of 558 in April compared with 418 in March, an increase of 33.5 percent. Kenworth was second at 19.3% with April sales of 3,755 compared with 3,147 in March; Mack was third with an 18.5% sales increase in April with 1,924 units sold compared with 1,623 in March. Mack also posted the best gain over April 2018, when it sold 1,182 units.
International continues to post the best year-to-date gain over 2018. The Illinois-based OEM has sold 12,902 units this year compared with 9,372 for the same period in 2018.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
