Sept. Class 8 Sales Fall Slightly,but Leap Ahead of ’01 Level

img src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/printeditiontag_new.gif" width=120 align=right>Sales of Class 8 trucks in September were off just 4.4% from the soaring levels of a year earlier, when buyers were loading up on new rigs ahead of a tightening of federal diesel engine emissions requirements that were about to go into effect.

But sales were up a sharp 33% from September 2001 — a time when an already declining market for trucks worsened as the economy contracted further following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The pickup in the underlying trend of truck sales last month, when considered against the unusual “pre-buy” surge last year, added to other recent signs that the business environment for equipment producers is improving.