Class 8 News Updates

U.S. Class 8 retail sales came in slightly above the previous year in June after a yearlong stretch of declines.

“Let’s see exactly how it will play out now, because it has been a very recent development,” Volvo Group CEO Martin Lundstedt said during the Q2 earnings call.

The parent company of Freightliner and Western Star is seeing heavy replacement demand from larger on-highway fleets in particular, DTNA CEO John O’Leary said.

International Motors’ sales fell 8% year over year in Q2 but climbed 21% compared with the first three months of 2026, parent company Traton Group said July 10.

The decision to bring back 400 workers and hire 200 more is one of the first public indications of the freight market rebound’s impact on truck demand.

North American Class 8 truck orders hit their largest year-over-year increase in seven months of consecutive gains.

ACT Research said sales rose 5.3% to 23,800 units from 22,600 a year earlier, but slipped 4.4% sequentially from 24,900 units.

Truck dealers are growing more optimistic about the prospects for Class 8 truck and tractor sales in 2026 and 2027, citing an improving economy.

Speaking to employees, officials and political allies, the president framed Mack Trucks as a symbol of domestic industrial strength and his trade approach.

“Everything we do here is by donation,” museum curator Doug Maney said. “It’s more than just Mack history. It’s American history.”