Truck Sales Soar in July

Sales of heavy-duty Class 8 trucks soared 26% in July from a year earlier, as accelerated orders from fleets trying to avoid the Oct. 1 deadline for reduced-emission engines translated into higher deliveries for the first time this year.

The 14,095 trucks sold in July — up from 11,184 in July 2001 — marked the largest sales month since manufacturers sold 14,794 in December 2000.

But the July numbers still rank well below 1999, the industry’s best year ever in terms of total volume. Monthly sales then were regularly in the 22,000-vehicle range, topping out above 24,000 in April and June.