Truck sales edge up

July 22, 2009
Sales of commercial trucks edged up slightly midway through 2009, according to figures compiled by Wards Communications

Sales of commercial trucks edged up slightly midway through 2009, according to figures compiled by Wards Communications.

Truck dealers sold 25,128 trucks with GVW ratings above 10,000 pounds in June, up 5% from May. The gain, however, was not nearly enough to give sales much of a boost when compared with June 2008. Sales were off 31% when compared with year-earlier levels.

June’s 31% decline was slightly better than normal by 2009 standards. Halfway through the year, dealers sold 147,144 trucks with GVW ratings above 10,000 pounds. This represents a 37% decrease from the first six months of 2008.

Midway through 2009, retail sales of Class 3 trucks were off least—down 29% when compared with the first six months of 2008. Classes 4, 5, and 6 were all down between 51% and 54%. Class 7 truck sales were off 30%, while Class 8 trucks were down 33%.

Retail sales of light-duty trucks—Classes 1 and 2—also were down sharply during the first half of 2009. Sales of Class 1 trucks were off 32% compared with the first half of 2008, while sales of Class 2 trucks were down 38% year to date.