Medium and heavy truck sales picked up in August but still remained markedly behind last year’s totals, according to figures compiled by Wards Communications.
Dealers sold 44,997 trucks with GVW ratings above 10,000 pounds during the month, down 28% from July 2006 (62,417) and up 12% from July 2007 (40,257). Compared to July 2006, Class 8 trucks were down 59%, followed by Class 6 at 32%.
Through the first seven months of 2007, truck dealers sold 363,919 trucks with GVW ratings above 10,000 pounds, down 22% from the corresponding period of 2006. Sales of light-duty trucks (GVW ratings of 10,000 pounds or less) allowed the overall market to gain 1% compared to July 2006, with Class Class 2 up 21%. For the year, total sales were down 4%.