Last year, more than 145,300 people were employed by franchised new medium- and heavy-duty truck dealerships in the United States, a 12.3 percent jump from 2016, according to an American Truck Dealers (ATD) report.
The report, ATD Data 2017, examines employment figures, sales figures, and the body shop, service and parts departments. The financial profile is released annually.
“Overall employment at U.S. truck dealerships is the highest it has been in the last five years,” ATD Senior Economist Patrick Manzi said. “Truck dealers continue to contribute to their communities with jobs that pay well and offer the ability for advancement. Last year, the majority of truck dealership employees saw their incomes rise.”
Being adequately staffed also allows dealerships to focus on customer service, Manzi said.
Last year, more than 11 million repair orders were issued, a 13.7 percent jump, totaling more than $31 billion in service and parts sales, a 13.2 percent spike.
New-truck sales increased 13.9 percent, reaching $97 billion. More than 415,000 medium- and heavy-duty trucks were sold, a 3.7 percent increase.
Compared to 2016, four new-truck dealerships opened.
Being adequately staffed also means shortening customer downtime in the service department, Manzi said. Real-time communication between drivers and dealership service centers will further reduce downtime in the future, he said.