| Update:
International Motors sales rose 18.4% to 2,498 units in June from 2,110 in June, the best year-on-year growth among the seven major truck makers. (International Motors)
key takeaways:
- U.S. Class 8 retail sales rose 0.3% year over year in June to 20,452 trucks, ending a year-long decline.
- June sales also rose 18.4% compared to May, but year-on-year sales were down 12.9% at 93,866 units.
- ACT Research expects growth in the second half along with improving market fundamentals and said June results could raise its full-year forecast to 231,000 units.
U.S. Class 8 retail sales in June were slightly higher than a year earlier, after a year-long decline.
Omdia Automotive data shows sales for the month rose 0.3% to 20,452 trucks from 20,392 reported during the year-ago period. The results also came in 18.4% higher than the 17,280 units reported in May.
The last time sales grew on an annual basis was exactly a year ago in June 2025, which was the only gain for that entire year. Year-to-date sales are still down 12.9% at 93,866 units compared to 107,827.
“This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for,” said Steve Tam, vice president of ACT Research. “Despite its moderate nature, I think it’s consistent with the underlying fundamentals in the sector. So we’re seeing growth in freight traffic, but not at dramatic rates.”
ACT Research expects about 229,000 units to be sold this year. June data would push that estimate closer to 231,000. Tam suspects that carriers are feeling better about their prospects as they see their margins improving in line with the market. But he also pointed out that this is a capacity-driven market adjustment – so there is room for improvement – and that the Iran war and global energy markets have been a major influence.
“I just saw a headline that said diesel has gone above $5 a gallon again,” Tam said. “We got a temporary reprieve. I hope getting back into the field won’t cause any disruption in terms of retail sales.”
Still, Tam expects sales growth to continue in the second half in line with market fundamentals. He said he also heard that most of the growth is coming from the for-hire truckload segment, which has borne the brunt of the decline in freight traffic.
“From our perspective, we think sales should only increase from this point,” Tam said. “We have midyear considered as a tipping point for retail sales growth. So as long as everyone is at the table and the party continues, we should be on that path.”
Omdia data shows that the modest increase in sales was driven by three of the seven major truck makers. International sales increased 18.4% from 2,110 to 2,498 units. Sales of Mack trucks increased 15.3% to 1,794 units from 1,556. Volvo Trucks North America sales increased 13.4% from 1,656 to 1,878 units compared to last year.
“Class 8 retail sales continued to grow in June, supported by improving freight fundamentals and strengthening capacity,” said Justina Morosin, senior vice president of sales and field operations at International. “As capacity is strengthened and regulatory changes are coming, fleets are making deliberate investments to position themselves for future growth.”
Morosin said ongoing gains in fuel efficiency are also becoming an important factor in customer purchase decisions. Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America, agreed with that sentiment.
“Retail sales continued to be strong in June, reflecting the impact of strong freight rates and improving freight demand on fleet purchasing decisions,” Randall said. “As freight demand increases and pre-buy activity increases, we expect this momentum to continue into the second half of the year.”
Daimler Trucks North America’s brand Freightliner claimed the largest market share of 35.6% with 7,291 trucks sold. This marked a decline of 8.2% from 7,944 units sold in June 2025. Sales of Western Star, another DTNA brand, declined 5.5% to 1,073 from 1,136.
Peterbilt Motors Co.’s truck sales fell 1.6% to 2,966 from 3,014. Kenworth Truck Co. sales fell 0.6% to 2,951 from 2,970.
U.S. medium-duty truck sales also showed a long-awaited gain, rising 13.6% to 20,210 units from 17,797. But this was very much due to class 6 and 7. Lease rental and moving companies have generally been key customers for those segments, Tam said. But he suspects that increased enforcement this time could lead to drivers losing their commercial driver licenses.
“There is a hypothesis, and there are some anecdotes that support it, that some of those drivers are moving to box trucks,” Tam said. “Similarly, you have carriers that are trying to move freight and they can’t find drivers. So, the hypothesis is that the two are gravitating toward each other.”
Omdia data showed that medium-duty sales increased 14.4% from the 17,663 units reported in May. Class 7 sales rose 12.2% to 4,870 units from 4,342 a year earlier. Grade 6 increased by 37.8% from 5,395 to 7,434. Grade 6 declined 2.6% from 6,361 to 6,195. Class 4 increased 0.7% to 1,711 from 1,699 a year earlier.
