U.S. sales of new Class 8 trucks remained weak in March even as orders for future delivery grew from last year. According to data received from Omdia Informa, only 14,952 new trucks were sold in March — making the first quarter of 2026 the worst sales quarter since 2017, with a total of 40,230 units sold.
While March sales of new Class 8 trucks on the U.S. market reflect a gain of 15.1% over February; the figure is down 20% from March 2025 sales.
Current market factors
Stagnant freight rates, price increases due to tariffs and uncertainty over EPA emissions and efficiency standards set to take effect in 2027 all factor into the sales reduction.
Carriers weren’t buying more trucks than necessary to replace aging equipment in their fleets; however, they WERE ordering larger numbers of trucks to be delivered in the future.
In North American, the figures were nearly opposite the truck sales numbers, falling 19% from February orders — but more than doubling March 2025 orders at 38,200. That’s a 137% gain over the same month a year ago. This data was reported by FTR Transportation Intelligence, and it marks the fourth consecutive month that orders have topped the same month from the prior year.
“The industry has entered the early stages of recovery … improving cumulative order trends and a strengthening freight backdrop suggest demand is becoming more durable and less reliant on short-term catch-up dynamics,” said Dan Moyer, FTR’s senior analyst for Commercial Vehicles.
Reasons for the stronger orders, according to FTR’s release, were the continuing recovery of freight volumes, better utilization of assets, increasing freight rates and improved clarity of regulations and pricing.
Carter Vieth, research analyst for ACT Research, noted that increased order activity occurred despite higher fuel prices brought about by the U.S.-Iran military conflict.
“Industry observers worry that elevated fuel costs could reverse recent rate gains, derailing the nascent for-hire recovery, but a driver shortage beginning recently has likely insulated spot rates from fuel headwinds, as immigration enforcement and new FMCSA rules are now beginning to lower the driver population,” Vieth said.
Analysts disagree over the impact of FMCSA actions on the driver population, but any action that removes drivers from the national fleet changes the capacity potential. Carriers buy fewer trucks when they don’t think they can supply drivers for all of them.
ACT reported 38,050 new Class 8 truck orders on the North American market for March — up 131% from their March 2025 numbers. The list of manufacturers reporting differs slightly between ACT and FTR, accounting for the difference in their reporting.
Used truck sales
Used truck sales were a mixed bag: Sales DID rise by 9%. However, they were expected to rise 12%, which is the average increase between February and March. Compared to March of 2025, sales actually fell by 2%
“As freight growth gains momentum, equipment buyers appear a little more confident, encouraging them to invest in used trucks,” explained Steve Tam, vice president of ACT Research vice president.
“The preliminary average retail price (same-dealer sales) of used Class 8 trucks held steady in March, adding 1.3% month-over-month to hit $55,59,” he continued. “Pricing also came in below seasonal expectations, which called for an almost 11% gain.”
The used truck market attracts a different sort of buyer than new trucks do, with more small carriers and owner-operators buying less expensive, used stock. As freight rates rise and company drivers with an entrepreneurial spirit decide to strike out on their own, carriers will have greater difficulty finding qualified drivers.
Trailer orders
Orders for new trailers have followed the Class 8 tractor pattern, increasing in March while still falling behind order numbers in March 2025. ACT Research reported 18,800 trailers ordered, a 42% increase from February.
“This brought the Q1’26 order tally to 55,400 trailers, about 9% less than were ordered during Q1’25,” said Jennifer McNealy, director of commercial vehicle market research and publications for ACT.
McNealy reports that the backlog-to-build ratio at the end of the first quarter of 2026 was 4.7 months.
OEM reports
Freightliner sold more new Class 8 trucks on the U.S. market than any other manufacturer during March with 4,535 units. That total, however, was only 0.5% higher than the company’s February sales total. It lags 37.8% behind its March 2025 sales numbers, representing the largest percentage of year-over-year decline of all the reporting manufacturers. Freightliner’s share of the U.S. Class 8 market sits at 33.2% for the year-to-date. That’s down 5.1% from its 2025 year-end percentage and is likely caused by a slowdown from its larger carrier buyers.
The biggest gainers thus far in market percentage are Volvo and Volvo-owned Mack Truck. Mack reported sales of 1,508 trucks for March, up 12.5% from February and just 0.7% behind March 2025 sales. For the first quarter, Mack sales of 3,795 represent a 1.7% gain of market share. Volvo’s 1,530 sold in March was a 14.4% improvement over February and 3.0% behind March 2025 sales. For the first quarter, Volvo’s 3,677 sold gained the OEM an extra 1.3% of the market.
Kenworth had the largest gain over February with sales of 2,479 in March for an increase of 54.6%. For the first quarter, the company has claimed an extra 0.3% of the Class 8 market. Peterbilt’s reported 2,587 sold was 47.8% better than February but still 10.1% behind sales in March 2025. The company’s market share for the first quarter grew by 0.7%.
International reported 1,618 Class 8 trucks sold in March, down 4.9% from its February total but running 4.5% ahead of its March 2025 sales number. With 5,015 sold in the first quarter of 2025, the company has gained 0.9% of the market and stands at 12.5% for the year to date.
Western Star reported 684 trucks sold in March, down 6.9% from February and a decline of 35.2% from March 2025. The company’s share of the Class 8 market is up just 0.1% at 5.5%.
Finally, tiny (at least in the Class 8 world) Hino sold 11 trucks in March for a total of 37 for the year, not enough to register on the market share meter.
Looking ahead
Truck sales in the first month of a new quarter typically decline from the prior month, and April sales figures should remain subdued. Higher freight rates and lower fuel costs, however, could spur the market.
Cliff Abbott is an experienced commercial vehicle driver and owner-operator who still holds a CDL in his home state of Alabama. In nearly 40 years in trucking, he’s been an instructor and trainer and has managed safety and recruiting operations for several carriers. Having never lost his love of the road, Cliff has written a book and hundreds of songs and has been writing for The Trucker for more than a decade.
