Slide Continues as January Class 8 Figures Dip Lower

Class 8 truck sales continued to slide in January as they had throughout last year, with the month’s total of 11,358 more than 31% below sales recorded in the previous January and lower than those tallied during any month in 2000.

The worsening slump in sales — seen throughout 2000 — has produced more than 12,000 layoffs in the truck manufacturing industry and thousands more in supply industries, as companies scramble to try to match production to a steadily dropping demand.

A glut of used trucks has contributed to the nosedive and brought warnings to trucking companies that they may be forced to reopen maintenance shops that had closed as purchase cycles shortened to about three years.

Many fleets bought trucks on the shorter cycle and traded trucks every three years, when warranties ran out.

For the full story, see the Feb. 19 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.

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