Medium-Duty Truck Sales Plunge 18.5% in April Amid Fleet Overcapacity

Key Details U.S. medium-duty truck sales dropped 18.5% in April compared to last year, with Classes 4-7 falling to 15,293 units from 18,754. This marks the ninth consecutive month without year-over-year growth, and sales also declined 10.1% from March's 17,019 units. Why It Matters Large fleets still carry excess inventory and are actively divesting equipment rather than buying new trucks. ACT Research VP Steve Tam explains that major carriers are "managing their fleet by cutting off the tail" - retiring older vehicles instead of replacing them. This strategy keeps average fleet age stable while reducing capital spending. Market Divide The decline isn't uniform across all operators. Small and mid-size fleets face a K-shaped economy where service-sector companies perform reasonably well, but goods-focused businesses struggle. Customers cutting back on essentials means reduced demand for medium-duty trucks among struggling operators. Class Breakdown Class 7 sales fell 18.9% to 3,891 units, while Class 5 plummeted 35.1% to 4,301 units. Class 4 dropped 23.1% to 1,048 units. Only Class 6 showed growth, rising 1.5% to 6,053 units. Freightliner led Class 7, Ford dominated Classes 5 and 6, and Isuzu topped Class 4 sales.