Commercial Fleet Sales Increase 12.3% in May
Commercial fleet sales continued their torrid spring, increasing 12.3% in May after increasing 11.2% in April. Year-to-date sales are now 7.8% ahead of the first five months of 2018, according to Automotive Fleet data.

Commercial fleet sales increase 12.3% in May, following an 11.2% increase in April.
Photos courtesy of Ford, GM, FCA, and Nissan.
Commercial fleet sales continued their torrid spring, increasing 12.3% in May after increasing 11.2% in April. Year-to-date sales are now 7.8% ahead of the first five months of 2018, according to Automotive Fleet data.
Sales of vehicles from nine manufactures reached 76,670 in May compared to a year ago. So far, the manufacturers have sold 345,261 in 2019.
In May, sales of trucks, vans, and SUVs increased 11.7% to 68,076, while sales of passenger cars increased 17% to 8,594. For the year so far, truck-based sales have increased 9.8% to 307,263, while car sales have declined 5.9% to 37,998.
May sales to government fleets from four manufacturers declined 6.3% to 26,788. Truck-based sales increased 1.4% to 22,974 and car sales fell 35.6% to 3,814. For the year, government sales have increased 1.1% to 111,900. Truck sales have increased 4.7% to 94,985 and car sales have declined 15.2% to 16,915.
Daily rental sales from nine manufacturers declined 13.6% to 207,850 units. Truck-based sales increased 19.3% to 133,098 units, while car sales declined 4.7% to 74,752 units. Year-to-date sales have increased 5.4% to 901,063 vehicles with a 4.5% decline in car sales to 332,128 and a 12.1% increase in truck-based sales to 568,935 units.
For all three segments, fleet sales in May increased 11.2% from a year ago to 311,308 units with a 14.8% gain in truck sales to 224,148 and a 3% increase in car sales to 87,160. For the year so far, sales into the three fleet segments have increased 5.6% to 1.35 million. While truck-based sales have increased 10.6% to 971,183, car sales have fallen 5.2% to 387,041.
More Vehicle Research

EV Realty Names Henrik Holland President as Charging Platform Expands
The former Prologis Mobility and Shell executive will help expand EV Realty’s truck charging business and move its power-first infrastructure model into autonomous vehicle depots and other fleet sectors.
Read More →
Mercedes-Benz Introduces Electric GLC With Up to 350 Miles of Range
The GLC 400 4MATIC Electric features an 800-volt architecture, 330-kW DC fast charging and a 94-kWh battery, along with Mercedes-Benz's new MB.OS operating system.
Read More →
Fleet Has a Talent Pipeline Problem, not a Talent Problem
Where will the next generation of fleet leaders come from, and what does the industry need to do differently to find them?
Read More →
Fleet Hacks: What Are You Still Doing Manually?
From daily recaps to repeatable workflows, fleet professionals share how AI can cut through busywork while keeping human judgment at the center.
Read More →
How One Fleet Manager Put a New Spin on Safety Training
Joe Lewis turned a pre-trip inspection lesson into an AI-assisted song, then four safety albums. The experiment also revealed why human oversight matters when AI enters driver training.
Read More →
2027 Ram ProMaster City Starts Under $40K
Ram is returning to the smaller commercial van market with a new ProMaster City aimed at delivery, service, trade, and passenger applications. Starting at $39,995 with destination, the 2027 van offers up to 2,000 pounds of towing capacity, more than 2,000 pounds of payload, and multiple cargo and passenger configurations.
Read More →
New Tariff Threats & a Leadership Change at Wheels | AF News Recap
A new tariff threat is creating more uncertainty for fleet ordering, Wheels has named a new president, and we’re asking whether certification is really worth the investment.
Read More →
Certification: What’s in It for the Fleet Manager?
From smarter fleet decisions to stronger career credibility, certification can give fleet managers knowledge they may never gain inside a single operation.
Read More →
Wheels Names Matthew Cole President
Cole brings more than 30 years of automotive and technology experience to the fleet management company, including leadership roles at Aptiv, Visteon and Johnson Controls.
Read More →
AI is changing what fleet managers can build & 849,000 vehicles recalled | AF News Recap
Fleet managers are learning how to build their own AI-powered tools, Stellantis is recalling nearly 849,000 vehicles, and this year’s Fleet Manager of the Year finalists have been revealed. Additionally, we’re examining how to identify repairs that warrant a second look. Here’s what you need to know this week.
Read More →