April Class 8 Sales Up 19.2%; Remains on Pace to Set Record

ruck makers sold 24,297 heavy-duty trucks in April, a 19.2% increase over April 2005, marking the 30th-straight month of year-over-year expansion.

Sales did fall from the record high of 25,895 units sold in March, but the April figure, based on a survey of U.S. retail sales by Wardsauto.com, was the third-busiest month ever for Class 8s. On a cumulative basis, the industry’s four-month total of 89,820 units is ahead of the record pace of 1999.

“We expect this to continue through the end of 2006,” said Scott Kress, senior vice president for sales and marketing for Volvo Trucks North America. “Production at Volvo’s New River Valley plant [in Dublin, Va.] is at a high level to meet the demand from customers. We are focused on delivering the trucks our customers have ordered for delivery this year.”