Class 8s Continue Mighty Showing
Sales of Class 8 trucks through November remained strong despite reports of falling orders in October that led one manufacturer to lay off workers recently. The 11-month total for 1999 hit 238,489, crushing the record of 209,483 set in 1998 and keeping pace to reach 260,000 for the year.
November sales of Class 8 trucks totaled 22,028, which was 21.6% higher than the 18,117 sold in November 1998, according to Ward’s Communications, a Southfield, Mich., analysis firm.
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The year-to-date figure was 26.2% above the 188,915 sales posted in the same period in 1998.
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In addition to the recent layoffs, falling orders prompted at least one investment firm to downgrade the stocks of two other manufacturers, but industry leaders don’t seem worried.
