Class 8 truck sales continue to improve in March Mack Trucks Inc.'s Class 8 sales were up 57.7 percent from the previous month on 831 trucks sold in March, and up a whopping 90.6 percent from the year before, improving Mack's market share 230 basis points. Pictured is the Mack Pinnacle. (Mack Trucks Inc.)
The Trucker News Services
4/13/2010
Heavy-duty truck sales in March jumped 21.5 percent from February, and showed the expected modest improvement from the year before.
According to figures provided to The Trucker by Ward’s Automotive, March Class 8 sales totaled 9,025 trucks in the United States, up from 7,427 trucks the month before. Sales improved 9.8 percent compared to March 2009, the third consecutive month of year-over-year gains.
And, except for last December's year-end rush, the March total was the best in 15 months.
Of course, the comparisons for 2010 versus 2009 should be put in perspective: last year was the worst for big trucks on Ward’s books going to be 1985. Indeed, other than in 2009, fewer trucks were sold last month than in any March since 2003.
In a brand-by-brand look at the most recent figures, Daimler Trucks North America’s Freightliner nameplate led the Class 8 field, selling 3,393 trucks in March, up 36.5 percent from the previous month, and up 34.8 percent from March 2009.
Navistar sold 1,989 International brand trucks, a 2 percent improvement from February but an 11.7 percent decrease from the year before.
PACCAR nameplates Peterbilt and Kenworth, respectively, sold 1,217 trucks (up 38 percent from February, and 42 percent from 2009) and 859 trucks (up 17.5 percent from February, down 6.6 percent from 2009).
Volvo Group’s Mack Trucks Inc. was up 57.7 percent from the previous month on 831 trucks sold in March, and up a whopping 90.6 percent from the year before, while Volvo Trucks North America was down 18.1 percent compared to February and down 3.1 percent compared to 2009, with 619 trucks sold.
Month-to-month numbers, it should be noted, can vary greatly — especially between quarters or from year’s end — depending on an OEM’s sales incentives and reporting procedures.
The U.S. market share pie chart one quarter into the year shows Freightliner as the top selling brand with a 34.1 percent slice of Class 8, followed by International at 25.7 percent. Peterbilt’s share is 12.4 percent and Kenworth holds 9.7 percent, followed by Volvo (8.6 percent) and Mack (8 percent).
Freightliner has been the big gainer so far this year, with its share improving 490 basis from 12 months ago, growing from 29.1 to 34.1 percent of the Class 8 market. Mack’s share has improved 230 basis points and Peterbilt’s 122. The International brand has slipped 219 basis points.
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