February retail sales picked up substantially in the medium-duty segment but slipped again from a sluggish January in the heavier classes, according to figures compiled by Wards Intelligence. Overall, however, the market is still running ahead of the 2018 totals.
Dealers sold 57,222 trucks with gross vehicle weight ratings above 10,000 pounds last month, up 3% from January—though the results were decidedly mixed by weight class: Class 3 registered sales of 220,457, up 17%; 1,297 trucks were sold in Class 4 (+46%); 5,066 in Class 5 (-2%); 5,917 in Class 6 (-12%); 4,627 in Class 7 (-14%); and 20,192 in Class 8 (-2%).
Compared to sales in February 2018 the totals were up 2%, with Classes 6, 7, and 8 posting gains, while Classes 3,4 and 5 all showed year-over-year decreases.
For the first couple months of the year, medium- and heavy-duty truck sales were up 1% compared with 2018, led by Class 8 and its 29% improvement. And, again, Classes 3, 4, and 5 registered decreases.
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