Class 8 Fleet Grows to 4-Year High

The total U.S. Class 8 truck fleet expanded to 3.63 million vehicles at the end of the third quarter, the highest level in four years and up 3% from the same period a year earlier, according to registration data from R.L. Polk & Co.

The year-over-year growth rate was the highest of any quarter in six years.

Despite the increase in total trucks in operation, the number of new heavy-duty trucks registered for the first time slipped 2.7% during the third quarter compared with the same period last year, Polk’s data showed. Registrations trailed year-ago levels in July and August but rose year-over-year in September.

For the first nine months of 2013, new Class 8 registrations were down 7.2%, Polk reported.