by Calculated Risk on 9/02/2020 10:40:00 AM

The following graph shows heavy truck sales since 1967 using data from the BEA. The dashed line is the August 2020 seasonally adjusted annual sales rate (SAAR).

Heavy truck sales really collapsed during the great recession, falling to a low of 180 thousand SAAR in May 2009.  Then heavy truck sales increased to a new all time high of 575 thousand SAAR in September 2019.

However heavy truck sales started declining late last year due to lower oil prices.

Note: "Heavy trucks - trucks more than 14,000 pounds gross vehicle weight."


Click on graph for larger image.

Heavy truck sales really declined towards the end of March due to COVID-19 and the collapse in oil prices.

Heavy truck sales are now back to March 2020 levels.

Heavy truck sales were at 395 thousand SAAR in August, up from 379 thousand SAAR in July, but down 26% from 534 thousand SAAR in August 2019.