Who's who in heavy trucks in 2023

As of July, sales of all new Class 8 vehicles were up about 7% versus 2022, and vocational trucks have been the strongest segment.

A backlog of 6.5 months has persisted as demand for vocational trucks continues to outstrip production capacity and few new trucks sit on dealers’ lots.

“Every truck being built has someone’s name on it,” says Ken Veith, president of ACT Research.

Read also: Alternative fuels help heavy truck diesels dominate

Meanwhile, to remain competitive, truck builders and their suppliers continue upgrading their products, making them more economical and productive for their owners and comfortable for their drivers. For example, automated manual transmissions now go into a big majority of highway tractors and full automatics have captured the market for many vocational trucks. Self-shifting transmissions save fuel, reduce maintenance, and relieve drivers of work so they can stay alert and safe.

What do the top heavy trucks offer for 2023? Click through the photos for a description of what truck builders are offering this year. 

Autocar makes the DC-64 series in three construction-oriented models: the D for dump trucking (shown); M for concrete mixer service; and P for concrete pumping. All are built at the company’s plant in Alabama; COE models are made there and in Indiana, and, like the conventionals, use Cummins X12 and L9 diesels mated to Allison automatics or Eaton manual trans- missions. Development of electric-drive models is in progress.