Retail sales of medium and heavy trucks slipped 3% in September compared to August, but the total was still 5% better than the year before, according to figures compiled by WardsAuto.
Dealers sold 62,230 trucks with gross vehicle weight ratings above 10,000 pounds last month, with mixed results across the weight classes: Classes 4, 6, and 7 saw double-digit declines from the month before, while Classes 3, 5, and 8 posted modest improvement.
For the first nine months of 2017, medium- and heavy-duty truck sales were up 3% compared with the same period last year. Despite an 18% increase compared to September 2016, Class 8 still has some catching up to do—down 10% for the year—while Class 7 sales are off by 1%. The slow heavy-duty market is being made up for by solid gains posted by Class 3 and 4 trucks, up 9% and 31%, respectively, so far in 2017.
