According to an article posted in Truck News, the North American truck market will remain flat this year, with better prospects for growth in the coming years, according to truck manufacturer and supplier executives at this year’s Mid-America Trucking Show.
 
The report cites Martin Daum, president and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America stating that early indications are that industry-wide NAFTA Classes 6-8 sales are on pace to be 15-20% lower than last year. He said Daimler’s official estimate for industry demand is plus or minus 10% from last year’s totals.
 
The report also quotes Andreas Renschler, the outgoing head of Daimler Trucks globally, who noted, “NAFTA was one of the pillars of growth in 2012, and a major reason Daimler Trucks did well in spite of a challenging global environment.” He added: “The business remains a growth business. By the end of this decade alone, the global truck market is expected to grow by another 2.2 million units.”
 
Gary Moore, general manager of Kenworth,  said this year’s sales will be “driven by the ongoing replacement of aging fleets.”
 
Kevin Flaherty, president, Mack Trucks North American Sales and Marketing, said his company also is projecting industry-wide sales to be in the same range as last year’s.
 
Read the full Truck News article here.