Truck Sales Soar 61.9%

January Total Appears to Be All-Time High

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.S. retail sales of Class 8 trucks in January kept up the same blistering pace they set in 2004, setting an apparent all-time record for the month by reaching 18,257 — a 61.9% increase over sales in the first month of last year.

All major original equipment manufacturers reported at least double-digit percentage increases for the month, ranging from about 30% to 120% over January 2004, according to data compiled by Ward’s Communications.

Class 8 sales were the highest for any January on record, dating at least back to 1979, said Paul Zajac, Ward’s manager of industry data. The record sales could be the highest ever for January, he said, but Ward’s does not have data for sales prior to the 1970s.

For the full story, see the Feb. 21 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.