In The News

Class 8 sales improve 9.4 percent in October

Heavy duty trucks sales showed some signs of life in October, improving 9.4 percent from the month before and hitting a high for 2009 — a ray of sales sunshine in a year that remains on track to be the worst in decades.

According to figures provided to The Trucker by Ward’s Automotive, October Class 8 sales totaled 8,500 trucks in the United States, up from 7,769 trucks in September. The October figure tops the March total of 8,222.

Still, the October number is 29.6 percent lower than October a year ago (12,073 trucks).

Truck sales in October during the industry run-up in 2005 and 2006 averaged 23,702 units.

For the first 10 months of 2009, 74,380 Class 8 trucks have been sold in the U.S. (down 32.5 percent from last year), the worst showing on the Ward’s books dating to 1985.

In 1991, the previous low, 80,941 trucks were sold in the same period. By comparison, in the 2006 record year, 235,007 trucks were sold through October — meaning a decline this year of 73.8 percent from the peak three years ago.

Based on maintaining the current rate of decline from 2008, projected sales are just under 90,000 units for 2009, versus 133,473 in 2008. In 2006, 284,008 big trucks were sold in the U.S.

In a brand-by-brand look at the most recent figures, Navistar’s International brand registered a 31.3 percent improvement from September on 2,606 trucks sold. International slipped 29 percent from the same month last year, however, when the line showed an even more impressive October sales surge. Daimler Trucks North America’s Freightliner mark was second, selling 2,166 trucks in October, a 10.1 percent gain from September but down 27 percent from 2008.

PACCAR nameplates Peterbilt and Kenworth sold 1,222 trucks (up 1.5 percent from September) and 1,187 trucks (down 12.6 percent), respectively.

The Volvo Group’s North American Trucks Mack brand was 8.7 percent from the previous month on 703 trucks sold in September. NAT’s Volvo brand was up 15.7 percent for the month compared to September, with 634 trucks sold.

Month-to-month numbers, it should be noted, can vary greatly — especially between quarters or from year’s end — depending on an OEM’s sales incentives and reporting procedures.

The U.S. market share pie chart through October shows International holding on to its lead, with a 28.8 percent slice on 21,436 trucks sold, besting Freightliner (26.1 percent, 19,430 trucks). Peterbilt’s share is 13.2 percent (9,847 trucks) and Kenworth holds 12.1 percent (8,971 trucks) of the Class 8 market. Mack has recorded 5,748 sales so far in 2009, and Volvo 5,547.

Compared to the first 10 months last year, International’s market share has improved 478 basis points, while Freightliner has improved its position by 76 basis points. So far in 2009 Volvo has seen its share fall from 9.7 percent to 7.5 percent.

Kevin Jones of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at [email protected].

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