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U.S. retail sales of Class 8 trucks rose to the second-highest total of the year, eclipsing 17,000, as they begin to mimic the earlier strengthening of orders and production, and small- and medium-size fleets increasingly see new trucks as crucial to driver retention, experts said.

Kenworth Truck Co. manufactured a 7-axle straight truck for White Oak Mills, marking the first time the OEM had made such a vehicle starting with its T880S platform.

International Truck, a unit of Navistar International Corp., announced redesigns and updates to its flagship, almost decade-old, LoneStar model.

Class 8 orders rolled on in July, climbing 81% year-over-year in what is typically the slowest order month of the year, analysts said.

North American Class 8 production reached a 19-month high in June after stronger orders earlier this year, according to ACT Research Co.

While the grand total of U.S. Class 8s in operation is growing ever so slightly, there are major shifts within the newest segment of that population, including more straight trucks at the expense of highway tractors, according to a recent report on vehicle registrations.

Preliminary Class 8 net orders for March were 22,800 units, slightly above expectations and much higher than a year ago for the third consecutive month, research company FTR reported.

U.S. retail sales of Class 8 trucks in February fell 29.5% from a year earlier, as all truck makers posted double-digit declines, WardsAuto.com reported.