U.S. Big-Truck Sales Riding High

U.S. sales of medium- and heavy-duty trucks jumped 33.3% in February, compared with like-2011, marking the industry’s 26^th consecutive month of year-over-year gains, according to WardsAuto data.

Medium-duty deliveries totaled 11,487 for a 14% leap as every segment, from Class 4 through Class 7, was in positive sales territory compared with prior-year.

Class 8’s 52.4% increase was the largest of any segment, as each of the eight brands that compete in that market was in the black – from Volvo’s 2.3% uptick to the 123.2% surge by PACCAR’s Kenworth.

Class 8’s 15,418 deliveries in the month trumped like-2011’s 9,712. February’s performance also marked the segment’s 26^th consecutive year-over-year gain.

Class 5’s 3,952 deliveries accounted for the second-largest hike, in percentage terms, with 24.7%. From Isuzu’s 21.4% jump to International’s 25.7%, each of the volume players in the segment booked February increases of more than 20%, compared with like-2011.

Volume leader Ford notched 2,565 deliveries for a 25% escalation in sales. The Blue Oval’s total was nearly three times that of its closest rival, Chrysler, which recorded 892 sales for a 24.1% climb.

Class 6 truck sales totaled 3,376, up 17.9% from prior-year’s 2,750. The increase largely was attributable to performances by Kenworth and February volume-leader Freightliner. They saw gains of 232.8% and 19.8%, respectively.

Deliveries of Class 4 trucks rose 7.2% on 653 deliveries. Isuzu was the big winner with 141 sales nearly nine times its year-ago total of 16.

The Freightliner and Mitsubishi Fuso brands contributed to Daimler’s 237.5% surge from prior-year. Their combined deliveries totaled 225, compared with 64.

Contrary to its Class 5 performance, Ford’s February Class 4 sales plummeted to 10, down significantly from 210 in like-2011.

At 2.2%, Class 7’s year-over-year hike was the most modest. It was boosted by PACCAR brands Kenworth and Peterbilt, which recorded a combined 662 sales for a 95.5% gain over prior-year.

Results were tempered by International’s 15.4% decline and Freightliner’s 7.1% shortfall.

Through February, when medium-duty sales tallied 21,839 for an 18.5% gain on like-2011. Total big-truck deliveries soared 37.4% to 51,376.

Medium-duty vehicle stocks totaled 37,546 at month’s end for a days’ supply of 82. Both numbers were higher than like-2011; inventories tallied 26,479 and the days’ supply was 66.

Heavy-duty vehicle stocks were 38,219, which translated to 62 days. Prior-year inventories totaled 23,131 for 51 days.

In other big-truck news, President Obama visits Daimler’s assembly plant in Mount Holly, NC, site of Freightliner production. The event marks Daimler’s compliance with new greenhouse-gas-emissions standards, making it the first commercial-vehicle manufacturer to achieve the benchmark.

Compliance is not due until next year, Daimler notes. “Through strategic partnerships with the (Environmental Protection Agency) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, (Daimler) is committed to producing clean, fuel-efficient, and environmentally sustainable solutions for the North American market,” Martin Daum, Daimler Trucks North America president and CEO, says in a statement.

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