Canada Truck Sales Flat in October

There was no movement in big-truck sales in Canada last month, with the 3,679 units sold identical to October 2011’s result.

Increases in Classes 5 and 8 perfectly offset declines in 4, 6 and 7, WardsAuto data shows.

Class 8’s 0.6% improvement can be credited to gains at almost all manufacturers, with segment-leading Daimler rising 19.2%, strengthening its market share to 34.0% from 28.7% year-ago. International sales plummeted 41.0% in Class 8 in Canada in March.

Total medium-duty sales dipped 1.2%, with Class 7 sliding 10.1%.

International managed to maintain its leading share position in the group, despite deliveries falling 23.9% to 118 units from 155 in like-2011. Ford and Hino saw bigger declines but on smaller volumes.

International’s situation was the same in Class 6, with a 28.2% underperformance from year-ago, the largest falloff among all big-truck groups in October.

The Illinois-based truck maker had the third-largest slide in Class 6, down 40.0%, but still claimed a 66.5% share.

Hino’s 85.0% surge couldn’t offset the International drop in Class 6.

Class 5 was the best performer among big-truck groups in Canada last month, up 24.7%, thanks to positive results almost across the board. Segment leader Ford gained 20.5%; Hino and Chrysler saw increases of 71.4% and 64.4%, respectively.

International, a minor player in Class 5, posted sales at half of year-ago levels, and Isuzu deliveries slid 21.6%.

Class 4’s No.1 seller, Ford, largely was responsible for the 16.5% decline in that group vs. year-ago, tumbling 40.2% to 58 units.

Through October, sales of medium- and heavy-duty trucks in Canada were up 20.7% to 37,532 units.

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