Double-Digit Gains Across Board for Canada Big Trucks in July

Canada big-truck sales are soaring in 2017 with another month of year-over-year growth. July marked the fifth consecutive month Classes 4-8 outperformed last year with a 35.1% jump in sales from 2,609 units to 3,389 in July.

Class 8 sales hit a high for the year in terms of growth, flying with a 29.4% increase in sales to 2,086 units. Aside from Freightliner (-6.2%) and Mack Truck (-14.0%), all truck makers grew substantially in sales. Starting the trend with the highest growth was Volvo Truck, up 75.6% on 226 deliveries. International was next, growing 71.2%. Kenworth followed with a 66.7% increase.

With two good months of growth, year-to-date sales for heavy-duty truck makers were 3.5% ahead with 13,773 units compared to like-2016’s 13,311.

Canada medium-duty truck sales have yet to see a year-over-year decline in 2017, with large double-digit gains from all classes in July. Coming in strong for the seventh month in a row, Classes 4-7 rose 45.2% from 933 units to 1,303. The gap in year-to-date sales continues to widen with 2017 outpacing 2016 19.5% with 9,194 deliveries.

Class 7 sales were up 23.0% from year-ago with 402 deliveries. International led the group in volume, but was the only truck maker in July to come in under last year. Kenworth and Peterbilt outdid sales, growing 90.1% and 212.0%, respectively, leaving PACCAR with a 125.8% spike in deliveries. Ford tripled its sales from five to 15, and Freightliner nearly doubled from 39 to 77.

Thanks to International adding 31 units to the mix, compared to zero last July, sales in Class 6 were up 47.9%. The rest of the group balanced out, resulting with 101 units for the class compared to 2016’s 71.

Both imports (+51.5%) and domestics (+64.3%) left Class 5 with a 62.6% jump in sales. Daimler and International came in under 74.0% and 65.3%, respectively. Volume leader Ford saw the most growth in the group, up 118.2%. Hino was next in line, increasing sales from 80 to 130 units, a 69.0% surge.

Sales in Class 4 were up 45.2% with 134 units compared to 2016’s 96. Ford accounted for 72.4% of market share with 97 deliveries, a 50.6% gain from last July. Isuzu had a good month, with both domestics (+82.0%) and imports (+17.0%) outperforming. Hino dropped 61.0%, but on small volume.

With large gains from all classes, year-to-date sales for Canada big trucks were up 9.3% compared to like-2016 with 22,967 units. All Classes 4-8 led 2017 with year-to-date gains, primarily Classes 4 and 5, ahead 29.3% and 26.5%, respectively.

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