Related: Commercial Fleet Sales Flat in July
August Commercial Fleet Sales Surge 12.6%
Sales of vehicles to commercial fleets from eight manufactures increased 12.6% to 52,439 in August units with strong sales in the truck category, according to Automotive Fleet data.

Photo of 2017-MY half-ton pickups courtesy of Ford, GM, FCA, and Nissan.

Photo of 2017-MY half-ton pickups courtesy of Ford, GM, FCA, and Nissan.
Sales of vehicles to commercial fleets from eight manufactures increased 12.6% to 52,439 in August units with strong sales in the truck category, according to Automotive Fleet data.
During the month, sales of pickups, vans, and SUVs increased 13.3% to 47,794 compared to August of 2016. Sales of passenger cars increased 6.5% to 4,645.
For the year to date, sales to commercial fleets have slipped 0.5% to 467,969. Truck-based sales have increased 2.6% to 408,294, while car sales have fallen 17.7% to 59,675.
Sales to government fleets from five manufacturers fell 2.8% to 20,966 for the month with truck sales off 7.5% to 16,664 and car sales increasing 21.1% to 4,302. For the year, government sales have fallen 9.7% to 181,687 with car sales off 9.6% to 33,675 units and truck-based sales down 9.7% to 148,012.
Daily rental sales from nine manufacturers fell 11.2% to 100,836 units with a 5.6% increase to 48,587 units in car sales and a 22.7% decline to 52,249 units in truck-based sales. Year-to-date sales have fallen 16.3% to 1.09 million vehicles with a 22.3% decline to 516,376 in car sales and a 10.1% decline to 577,467 units in truck-based sales.
For all three segments, fleet sales in August fell 4.1% to 174,241 units with a 6.7% increase to 57,534 in car sales and an 8.7% decline to 116,707 units in truck-based sales. Year to date, the three fleet segments have fallen 11.9% to 1.74 million with a 21.3% decline in car sales to 609,726 and a 5.8% decline to 1.13 million in truck sales.
More Operations

How to Manage Conflict for Your Fleet Operations
Conflict management is becoming a core leadership skill. Here are five strategies fleet leaders should know.
Read More →
Turning Connected Vehicle Data Into Decisions That Matter
Fleet leaders have more data than ever, but turning that data into clear, actionable decisions remains a challenge. This white paper shows how leading organizations are using connected vehicle data to improve safety, reduce costs, and optimize fleet performance. Learn how to turn insight into action across your fleet.
Read More →
Cameras, Safety and Insurance: From Reactive Claims to Real-time Prevention
Commercial auto remains one of the most challenging and costly lines of coverage for fleet operators and insurers alike. Learn more about how to effectively address these issues from Onur Aksan, Enterprise Business Development Executive, Geotab.
Read More →Are You Tracking Your Fleet's True Total Cost of Ownership?
Bobit Business Media surveyed 190 fleet professionals and found that while most fleets are tracking costs, fragmented systems and data gaps are keeping true TCO visibility out of reach. With rising pressure to control spend in an increasingly volatile environment, the gap between what fleets think they know and what the data actually shows is wider than you might expect. See how your peers are managing costs today and where the industry still has room to improve.
Read More →
Turn Fleet Data Into Smarter Decisions
Fleet leaders have access to more operational data than ever, but disconnected systems and unclear metrics often slow decision-making instead of improving it. This article outlines five practical steps fleets can take to transform fragmented data into actionable insights that improve planning, safety, utilization, and long-term performance.
Read More →
Hybrids: Electrification Without the Challenges
For fleet managers, fuel is one of the biggest line items in the budget — and it's one hybrids can shrink without changing how your people work. Download the eBook to see the numbers, understand the technology, and get a step-by-step guide to making the switch.
Read More →
How NOV Uses Telematics to Improve Fleet Safety Across 160 Locations
James Victory of NOV discusses how the company manages fleet safety, maintenance, and telematics across more than 150 locations supporting oilfield operations throughout the U.S.
Read More →
Fleet Meets: Steven Santostasi
This edition of the Fleet Meets series features Steven Santostasi, the current TSP channel manager for Ford Pro.
Read More →
Why Fleet Managers Are Replacing Departmental Vehicles with Shared Motor Pools
Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This white paper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.
Read More →Soap Box Derby Challenge: Assembling the Crew
Meet Gabriel, Matthew, and Angel — the team helping bring this soap box derby build to life.
Read More →
