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February 24, 2004 6:00 AM, EST

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.S. retail sales of Class 8 trucks jumped by 33.9% in January from a year earlier, marking the second consecutive month of sharp gains amid what industry officials say is the strongest truck market in years.

Manufacturers reported they sold 11,275 of the heavy-duty trucks last month, according to Ward’s Communications, which tracks the data.

While the January 2003 total of 8,421 was from a period when truck sales were slumping after the launch of new-model engines to meet tougher emissions rules, the latest sales were also up 36.5% from January 2002.

Truck sales rose 40% in December, after just a 4.2% rise in November, with the year-earlier comparisons for both months affected by the response to the new engines.

For the full story, see the Feb. 23 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.