U.S. Big-Trucks Up 2.6% in April

The sales pace of U.S. medium- and heavy-duty trucks slowed in April compared to previous months as deliveries were up a slight 2.6% over like-2014, according to WardsAuto data.

Big-truck makers delivered 36,205 units during the month, compared with 35,271 in the prior year, with only Classes 4 and 8 posting year-over-year increases.

Sales in Class 8 continued to lift the overall market, rising 15.4% on 20,509 units vs. 17,776 year-ago, as all companies posted gains except for International. Daimler brands Western Star (+45.7) led all gainers, while Freightliner posted a 9.1% increase. PACCAR’s Kenworth was up 31.0% and Peterbilt jumped 36.4%. Volvo truck brands Volvo and Mack recorded increases of 18.7% and 6.6%, respectively.

International was the only brand to report a loss, falling 3.3% on sales of 2,581 units, and its market share has fallen from second to fifth place. Through four months, Class 8 was up 22.3% on unit sales of 76,318 against 62,427 prior-year.

Overall medium-duty sales fell 10.3% vs. 2014 with 15,696 units delivered in April.

Class 7 sales for the month slipped 2.9% below year-ago results, with most brands posting losses.  Share leader Freightliner fell 10.2%, while Ford suffered the largest loss, down 21.1%. Peterbilt led the segment with a 17.8% upswing, and International was the only other brand to report an increase, up 14.8%.

Hino netted a 62.1% sales jump in Class 6, nearly doubling its share from 6.0% to 11.8%. But that wasn’t enough to offset losses by all other brands, as the segment plummeted 17.2% on total volume of 4,657 units. Ford’s sales tumbled 50.5% and dropped its stake to third in the segment. Share leader Freightliner slipped only 1.3% and managed to raise its market share due to the poor performance of the other main players in the class.

In Class 5, a 55.6% sales gain by Mitsubishi Fuso and Isuzu’s 32.9% upswing was not enough to offset a 41.2% loss by the segment’s largest player, FCA, as its sales slid 41.2%, pulling the overall market down with it. Overall Class 5 deliveries ended the month down 14.1% on unit volume of 5,659. 

Class 4 was the best-performing segment in April with deliveries up 18.7%. Isuzu import models rose 58.5% and its domestic line gained 17.3%. Isuzu’s stake hit 79.6% while second-place Ford saw its sales skid 37.6% and its share cut in half to 12.7%.

Class 8 inventory rose last month to 50,043 units, 14,000 ahead of last year’s 35,980. April’s days’ supply was 63, up from 53 in like-2014. Medium-duty truck makers ended the month with 52,338 units in inventory, an 87-day supply. That compares with 44,077 and 70 days in like-2014.

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