Canadians love heavy duty trucks

Heavy duty truck sales in Canada have set a “blistering” pace so far in 2012, posting double-digit year-to-date gains over the first quarter of 2011, according to statistics compiled by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.

Relative to 2011, sales of heavy duty trucks were up 48.4 per cent in the first quarter of this year. A total of 10,147 units were sold through March compared to 6,836 units during the same period last year. Some industry observers believe the present sales surge may be short-lived. Long lead times of several months are common in a sector that builds most products to order, and some in the auto assembly and dealer communities are beginning to report above-average rates of order reduction and/or cancellation during the purchase delivery period.