Newer transmissions and cabover models among key buying trends in medium duty range.
Although reduced demand for new trucks in the Asian market has helped the manufacturers get closer to meeting North American demand, sales here are still being constrained by component shortages. Just one year ago, every producer we surveyed was at maximum capacity, building as many trucks as they could get parts for. This year, the resounding complaint was, "We could sell more trucks if we could just get more automatic transmissions." This new production problem is reflective of the move toward easier shifting transmissions in medium duty trucks.
Cabover/low cab forward trucks, although somewhat limited in popularity in North America, are slowly gaining acceptance for urban use, where the driver's visibility and ease of maneuverability are important.