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North American trucking fleets ordered 22,500 new Class 8 vehicles in February, a 7.3% decrease from last February and the second straight monthly decline, ACT Research reported. However, truck dealers told Transport Topics they were not concerned a downward trend had begun.

Wholesale used Class 8 truck dealers have seen more of a drop-off in their business than retailers and auctioneers because of the difficulty of getting product, but the used truck market could get some relief from trade-ins resulting from burgeoning new truck sales, according to ACT Research Co. and some dealers.

Manufacturers and sellers of heavy-duty trucks will take stock of industry and the economy at the annual American Truck Dealers Association meeting in Las Vegas, Feb. 3-6.

Nextran Corp. has purchased Premier Truck Centers, with locations in Birmingham, Tuscumbia and Madison, Ala. Terms were not released.

The American Truck Dealers held its annual convention in Phoenix this month, with members cheerful over the economic rebound but increasingly leery of pending federal regulations.

American Truck Dealers said it will focus on how to mitigate the possible negative effects of regulatory and legislative actions during its annual convention April 15-18 in Phoenix.

Lakeside International Trucks said it has acquired an International dealership in Rockford, Ill., from Chicago International Trucks dealership group

Several trucking industry officials met with the Obama administration Sept. 1 to push for incentives for fleets to buy new equipment, arguing that sales are lagging because of high truck prices caused by federal emissions rules.

Stephen Neal, chief executive officer of K. Neal International Trucks Inc., said June 4 was “quite a day” for his Hyattsville, Md., dealership. After all, it’s not every day that the commander-in-chief drops in to walk the showroom and discuss the nation’s economic recovery.