New commercial-truck sales in June 2026 totaled 40,662 units, an increase of 6.5% year over year. Year to date through June 2026, new commercial-truck sales totaled 193,692, a decline of 11.1%. Sales of Class 8 trucks in June 2026 posted a 0.3% gain compared to June 2025, the first year-over-year gain for any month in a year. Medium-duty truck sales in June 2026 were solid, posting a gain of 13.6% compared to June 2025.
Preliminary orders for new medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks increased significantly in June 2026. ACT Research estimates that Class 8 truck orders totaled 31,751 units in June 2026, nearly triple the amount from June 2025 when most businesses were adapting to a new tariff regime and slowing new purchases. And Class 8 truck orders in June 2026 were up nearly 25% compared to May 2026. ACT Research also estimates a solid month for medium-duty truck orders in June 2026. Medium-duty orders totaled 21,122 in June 2026, an increase of 71% year over year.
Following a roughly four-year freight recession, freight rates are climbing again. The turnaround comes after many carriers have exited the market, trucking supply and demand have come closer into balance, and the reduced supply of trucks has pushed up freight rates. Even with diesel-fuel price spikes in recent months from the ongoing war in Iran, many trucking firms have been able to operate profitably and pass along the some of the higher fuel costs to their customers.
Not all trucking sectors have seen the same sort of recovery. Most of the increased demand for freight hauling has come from the massive investments in data centers as the country builds out more AI infrastructure. Consumer demand for freight has been relatively flat by comparison. Still, most new commercial-truck purchases happen when the firms that operate them are making money, and the freight recovery should bode well for higher new commercial-truck sales. For all of 2026, we expect medium-duty truck sales of 220,000 units and heavy-duty truck sales of 227,000 units, both of which would be positive gains compared to 2025.
