Automotive Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Commercial Fleet Sales Jump 22% in August

Sales of vehicles to commercial fleets increased 22% in August, while sales into daily rental fell 21.2%. Sales to government agencies increased 18.3%.

September 7, 2018
Commercial Fleet Sales Jump 22% in August

Commercial fleet sales increased 22% in August on the strength of truck sales.

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

2 min to read


Sales of vehicles to commercial fleets from eight manufactures increased 22% to 63,969 in August as sales of trucks, vans, and SUVs provided 90% of the volume while sales of passenger cars increased more than 35%.

Ad Loading...

Truck-based sales increased 20.7% to 57,670, while car sales increased 35.6% to 6,299 units, according to Automotive Fleet data. For the year so far, sales to commercial fleets have increased 9.7% to 513,588. Truck-based sales have increased 10.3% to 450,245, while car sales have increased 6.1% to 63,343.

Ad Loading...

Sales to government fleets from four manufacturers increased 18.3% to 24,801. Truck-based sales increased 28.2% to 21,367 and car sales declined 20.2% to 3,434. For the year, government sales have increased 1.8% to 185,042. Truck sales have increased 3.9% to 153,752 and car sales have fallen 7.1% to 31,290.

Daily rental sales from nine manufacturers fell 21.2% to 79,491 units. Truck-based sales increased 3.8% to 54,224 units, while car sales declined 48% to 25,267 units. Year-to-date sales have increased 8.1% to 1.18 million vehicles with a 12.3% decline in car sales to 452,953 and a 26.2% increase in truck-based sales to 729,045 units.

For all three segments, fleet sales in August fell 3.4% from a year ago to 168,261 units with a 14.2% gain in truck sales to 133,261 and a 39.2% decline in car sales to 35,000. For the year so far, sales into the three fleet segments have increased 7.9% to 1.88 million. While truck-based sales have increased 17.6% to 1.33 million, car sales have fallen 10.2% to 547,586.

More Vehicle Research

Henrik Holland headshot on a leadership update
Vehicle Researchby News/Media ReleaseSeptember 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 Researchby News/Media ReleaseSeptember 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 Researchby Faith HowellSeptember 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 Researchby Faith HowellSeptember 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 Researchby Faith HowellSeptember 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 Researchby StaffAugust 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 Researchby Faith HowellAugust 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 →
A certification symbol with text over it
Vehicle Researchby Faith HowellAugust 28, 2026

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 →
Graphic for the new Wheels president with Matthew Cole's headshot on the left
Vehicle Researchby News/Media ReleaseAugust 27, 2026

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 →
Ad Loading...
An AF news recap thumbnail
Vehicle Researchby Faith HowellAugust 22, 2026

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 →