Automotive Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Fleet Sales Sink in November

Sales of vehicles from nine manufacturers to commercial fleets fell 9.9% to 54,384 in November after enjoying several robust months of sales but remain the strongest fleet segment with an 8.7% increase year to date. Sales to rental and government fleets fell in November as well.

Paul Clinton
Paul ClintonFormer Senior Web Editor
December 4, 2019
Fleet Sales Sink in November

Commercial fleet sales saw weakness in November after several strong months that bucked the overall sales trend.

Photos courtesy of Ford, GM, FCA, and Nissan.

2 min to read


Sales of vehicles from nine manufacturers to commercial fleets fell 9.9% to 54,384 in November after enjoying several robust months of sales but remain the strongest fleet segment with an 8.7% increase year to date.

Ad Loading...

In November, sales of cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs were all lower than an October that saw double-digit growth. Sales of cars fell 24.1% to 5,836, while sales of trucks, vans and SUVs fell 7.8% to 48,548, according to Automotive Fleet data.

Ad Loading...

For the year, commercial sales have increased 8.7% to 734,012 on the strength of the truck category, which is 11.1% higher despite car sales falling 9.6% to 70,923.

Sales to government agencies and daily rental companies were lower again.

Sales to government fleets from five manufacturers fell 12.3% to 17,888 for the month. Truck-based sales fell 4.2% to 15,874, while car sales declined 47.2% to 2,014. Year to date sales have fallen 5.7% (to 232,761) with trucks down 3.2% (199,486) and cars down 18.6% (33,275).

Sales into daily rental declined 8.6% (to 112,521) in November with car sales down 19.5% (to 41,116) and truck category sales down 0.8% (to 71,405). For the year, sales are 2.3% higher (1.6 million) with trucks up 5.8% to 1 million and cars down 3.1% to 605,173.

Fleet sales in the three segments fell 9.3% to 184,793 in November with a 3.8% decline in the truck category (135,827) and a 21.8% decline in car sales (48,966). Through 11 months, fleet sales have increased 3.2% over 2018 to 2.57 million. Truck, van, and SUV sales are 6.6% higher to 1.86 million, while car sales are 4.6% lower to 709,371.

More Vehicle Research

A ChargerHelp thumbnail representing the 2026 reliability report with a dark blue background.
Vehicle Research•by News/Media Release•September 24, 2026

When Charger Downtime Becomes a Fleet Availability Problem

As EV deployments move beyond pilot programs, charger reliability can directly affect vehicle readiness, driver productivity and route scheduling.

Read More →
A grey Nissan drives on a road at sunset
Vehicle Research•by News/Media Release•September 23, 2026

2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid Adds e-POWER, Standard AWD

The new Rogue Hybrid uses Nissan’s e-POWER system with dual electric motors, offers an estimated 40 mpg and starts at $35,490.

Read More →
A 2026 BLue FOrester hybrid driving down a dirt road from the rear view
Vehicle Research•by News/Media Release•September 21, 2026

2027 Subaru Forester Adds First Wilderness Hybrid

The 2027 Forester lineup starts at $29,995 and adds a Wilderness Hybrid with 194 combined horsepower and 9.3 inches of ground clearance.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Henrik Holland headshot on a leadership update
Vehicle Research•by News/Media Release•September 10, 2026

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 →
A Mercedes-Benz GLC drives on a road
Vehicle Research•by News/Media Release•September 10, 2026

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 →
oung professionals collaborate around laptops in an office, illustrating efforts to introduce the next generation to careers in fleet management.
Vehicle Research•by Faith Howell•September 8, 2026

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 →
Ad Loading...
A beige, blue, and red Fleet Hacks graphic with headshots on the bottom row in rounded shape of Lori Olson, Jen VrMeer, and Oleg Cytowicz.
Vehicle Research•by Faith Howell•September 4, 2026

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 →
A graphic with red and clue text and a transparent background with music notes.
Vehicle Research•by Faith Howell•September 3, 2026

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
Vehicle Research•by Staff•August 31, 2026

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 →
Ad Loading...
An AF news recap blue and white thumbnail
Vehicle Research•by Faith Howell•August 28, 2026

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 →