Truck makers sold 9,402 Class 8 trucks in September, up from 8,834 the previous month, making for 77,082 for the first nine months of the year,
according to figures from Ward's.

That's up from last year, when Class 8 trucks totaled 65,880 for the first nine months, but well below 2007's 116,853.

The Class 8 market leader for the month was Daimler, which sold 3,382 Freightliners and 75 Western Stars. Paccar was in second place with 2,509 Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks. International sold 1,804, while Volvo sold 1,631 Mack and Volvo trucks.

In Class 7, 3,262 trucks were sold. The market leader in this class was International, with 1,367, while Daimler sold 928, Ford 434 and Paccar 347. Year-to-date Class 7 sales for the first three quarters of the year totaled 27,595, slightly down from last year's 28,752.

In Class 6, 2,165 trucks were sold. International again led the pack, with 917, followed by Ford with 585 and Daimler with 421.

While Class 7 sales are down, year-to-date Class 6 sales for the first three quarters totaled 22,619, up significantly from last year's 16,058 at this point. This reflects a continuing trend among buyers to favor the lighter under-26,001-pound trucks so their operators don't need Commercial Drivers Licenses. In most cases, a Class 6 truck will carry as much as its owner wants while allowing him or her to avoid the complexities of CDL compliance.