U.S. Big-Trucks Up 31.1% in November

U.S. sales of medium- and heavy-duty trucks in November rose 31.1% on a daily basis from year-ago, reaching 36,141 units, a 9-year high for the month, WardsAuto data shows. This major success follows two months of year-over-year declines and a high accumulation of inventory. All weight classes experienced double-digit gains.

Class 8 deliveries jumped 25.1% on sales of 19,228 units vs. 16,706 year-ago. Freightliner’s sales soared 75.9% to 9,208 units, giving the brand a 47.9% share of the group, a record high. Freightliner’s gain made up for losses by smaller-volume makers International (-12.9%), Peterbilt (-24.5%) and Mack (-6.2%). A 25.1% increase by Volvo Truck made the brand the only one except Freightliner to not lose share.

Class 7 posted a 34.9% rise to unit sales of 4,617. Kenworth saw the most growth, surging 56.1% on sales of 494. Class-leader Freightliner boosted sales 40.2%, and second-place International grew 42.6%. Ford suffered the only loss in the segment, slipping 34.5% on volume of 150.

Class 6 showed the greatest growth in November, up 66.1% on 4,906 sales. A triple-digit gain by Freightliner (+143.2%) gave it a 41.5% share. Ford lifted sales 53.0%, and International rose 46.5% from prior-year. Peterbilt was the only brand to lose sales, dropping 50.4% and bringing its parent company, PACCAR, down 4.4%.

Sales rose 28.3% in Class 5 to 6,281 trucks, a best-ever November result. Isuzu gained the most, 57.6%, to 522 units. Group leaders Ford and FCA increased 22.4% and 38.2%, respectively. Mitsubishi Fuso posted a big drop, 62.7%, but on small volume of 12 units.

Class 4 had the lowest year-over-growth, but still was up 19.9% with 1,109 units sold. Isuzu domestic trucks were up 26.6%, while its import models rose a similar 26.7%. Again, Mitsubishi Fuso posted a large decline with a low share, down 39.2% to 47 trucks sold.

High sales in the month brought big-truck inventory down from an 84 days’ supply in October. Class 8 inventory reached 57,041 units at the end of November, resulting in 68 days’ supply, up from 66 days in like-2014. Medium-duty truck makers ended the month with 49,708 units in stock, also a 68-day supply. Last year, November ended with 47,775 medium-duty trucks, a 90 days’ supply. Big-truck inventory is at a healthy level for a strong finish to 2015.

Through the first 11 months of 2015, sales of medium- and heavy-duty trucks totaled 407,936 units, 11.9% above like-2014. This year’s 11-month tally already surpassed the 406,747 units sold in full-year 2014.

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