Trailerbodybuilders 576 Truck Sales May 2014
Trailerbodybuilders 576 Truck Sales May 2014
Trailerbodybuilders 576 Truck Sales May 2014
Trailerbodybuilders 576 Truck Sales May 2014
Trailerbodybuilders 576 Truck Sales May 2014

Commercial truck sales up again in May

June 17, 2014

Truck upfitters had a few more trucks to work on last month.  Retail truck sales continued to edge higher in May, according to figures compiled by WardsAuto Group.   

Truck dealers sold 56,045 Class 3-5 trucks during the month, up 4% from May 2013.  The increase primarily was the result of strong sales in Class 3 and Class 4 models.  Class 3 trucks were up 8% for the month, and Class 4 sales jumped 19%.  With Class 3 now the largest segment in the commercial truck market, an 8% increase for the month was enough to offset declines of 20% and 21% in Class 5 and Class 6 trucks, respectively.  Class 8 trucks, the second-largest truck class, edged up 1% in May.

For the first five months of 2014, truck dealers sold 253,113 trucks with GVW ratings in excess of 10,000 pounds.  Class 4 trucks posted the strongest increase--up 25%, but double-digit increases of 10%-15% were the norm.

Light duty trucks also performed well in May.  Class 1 trucks (GVW ratings of 6,000 pounds or less) were up 16% when compared with May 2013, and Class 2 trucks (6,001-10,000 pounds GVWR) were 10% higher. 

Through the first five months of 2014, dealers sold 3,650,253 trucks (Classes 1-8), up 10% from the corresponding period of 2013.