Medium-Duty Truck Sales Drop 14.7% for 14th Straight Month

Key Details Classes 4-7 medium-duty truck sales fell 14.7% in March to 17,019 units compared to 19,942 units last year. This marks the 14th consecutive month of year-over-year declines, with the last increase occurring in January 2025. The month did show a 25.2% sequential improvement from February's 13,591 units. Why It Matters ACT Research notes that medium-duty trucks function as tools for operators rather than revenue generators themselves. This fundamental difference from heavy-duty operations means fleet operators are being more conservative with purchases during uncertain economic times. Market Headwinds Lease and rental companies remain over-capacitized from previous years, reducing their need to purchase new vehicles. Manufacturers are also reallocating production resources, prioritizing heavy-duty Class 8 trucks over medium-duty classes as they shift some production back to the U.S. from Mexico. Class Breakdown All medium-duty classes posted declines: Class 7 dropped 7% to 4,662 units, Class 6 fell 17.7% to 5,422 units, Class 5 decreased 18.2% to 5,770 units, and Class 4 declined 9.7% to 1,165 units. Industry experts expect tighter production capacity ahead as manufacturers make strategic trade-offs between medium and heavy-duty segments.