COLUMBUS, Ind. — Improved trucking company profitability, the rising value of used trucks, and the aging of the average North American fleet are a few factors that will propel a significant rebound in class 8 truck sales, according to ACT Research Co.

This combination suggests a growing number of fleets will have both the need and the ability to reinvest in equipment, the firm says in its latest ACT North American Commercial Vehicle Outlook.

ACT projects full-year 2010 production of Class 8 vehicles to hit about 151,000 units, up 27 percent from a weak 2009, but still well below normal replacement demand.

That demand will continue to ramp up for the next two years, with production in 2012 exceeding 300,000 units, says ACT.

The forecast for medium-duty (Classes 5-7) production is more muted, growing 15 percent in 2010 and 14 percent in 2011 due to the slow recovery in the construction and housing sectors.

"Our forecast for 2010 has stayed in a narrow range for the past fifteen months as our model predicted a slow economic recovery and heavy-duty demand still well below normal replacement," said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst with ACT. "While headwinds make a full-blown economic recovery unlikely before 2012, recent trends in the transportation and commercial vehicle markets point toward demand for new vehicles building throughout 2011 and 2012."