U.S. Big Trucks Enjoy Best August Since 2006

U.S. big-truck makers enjoyed the best August since the 2006 record year as sales jumped 16.0%, also the industry’s 24^th consecutive month of year-over-year gains, according to WardsAuto data.

Deliveries of medium- and heavy-duty trucks hit 39,376 during the month, compared with 35,264 in the prior year, with all weight classes enjoying year-over-year increases.

Sales in Class 8 rose 16.4% on 21,998 units vs. 19,627 year-ago with all companies posting double-digit gains except International (-9.5%) and Mack (-1.6%). PACCAR brands Kenworth led all gainers, posting a 41.8% increase and Peterbilt was up 19.6%. Share leader Freightliner posted a 22.2% improvement, good for a 37.6% stake. Through eight months, Class 8 was up 22.0% on unit sales of 168,569 against 138,210 prior-year.

Overall medium-duty sales rose 15.4% vs. 2014 on 17,378 units delivered in August.

Class 7 was the best-performing group for the month, up 22.7% on 6,032 units sold. Ford was the only brand to suffer a loss, plummeting 63.7% on sales of only 98 units, down from 280 a year-ago. Kenworth again was the segment leader, soaring 68.1% and moving past Peterbilt with a 9.2% share. International unseated Freightliner as the top seller in August and the two brands now account for nearly 80% of Class 7 sales.

Class 6 posted a solid gain of 11.6% in August and Ford was again the only brand to lose ground, falling 10.5% to 873 units. Kenworth volume nearly tripled to 255 units from 94 a year-ago, raising its share to 6.2% and Peterbilt volume nearly doubled, up 90.4% on small volume.

Class 5 deliveries were 6,023 units, 13.6% above the 2014 total of 5,505.  Share leader Ford managed a small 3.6% uptick, but saw its share slip to 55.4%. Class 5 was the only segment where Ford’s deliveries improved.  FCA recorded a 70.3% increase with unit sales of 1,533.

Class 4 continued to be led by sales of Isuzu domestic models, up 63.9%, and its imported line was up 26.1%. Collectively, Isuzu commands 76.9% of the market. Second- place Ford slid 54.4% to 184 units from 419 a year-ago. Overall Class 4 ended the month up 4.9%.

Class 8 inventory rose last month to 51,813 units and over 10,000 units ahead of last year’s 41,062. August days’ supply was 61, up from 56 in like-2014. Medium-duty truck makers ended the month with 52,061 units in inventory, a 78-day supply. That compares with 47,823 and 83 days in like-2014.

In other big-truck news: The average price for a gallon of on-highway diesel fuel rose for the first time in 3½ months, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Dept. of  Energy. The national average price of diesel fuel rose to $2.534 per gallon, still lower by $1.28 compared to year-ago. Prices were up in nearly all regions except for New England which saw a 1-cent decrease for the week. The West Coast region incurred the largest increase, up 2.3 cents.

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