Fleet Sales Rise 9.6% in September

Sales of vehicles from nine manufacturers to commercial fleets ratcheted higher in September with a 9.6% increase to 48,063 units from the same period a year ago, according to Automotive Fleet data.

Trucks, vans, and SUVs again carried the heaviest volume, and passenger cars that had lagged earlier in the year saw double-digit growth. The truck category increased 9% to 41,129 vehicles, while the car category increased 13.8% to 6,934 units.

The increases helped push fleet sales higher for the calendar year to date. Commercial sales have increased 4.4% to 468,786 vehicles compared to the first nine months of 2014. For the year, the truck category has increased 2.1% to 389,904 vehicles, while the car category has moved 17.5% higher to 78,882 units.