CHATHAM, Ont. — International Trucks has recalled 200 workers and plans to boost heavy-truck production in a move that could signal a light at the end of the tunnel of the industry downturn.

Truck production will increase to 60 trucks a day from 43 at the Chatham, Ont. plant effective Sept. 4.

Company officials tell media that dealers have sold off a lot of their backlog and are ready to start taking on new trucks from the assembly line.

But they are downplaying any suggestion that the trucking industry is in the clear ready to bounce back.

Spokesman Roy Wiley told media that Class 8 truck demand is not necessarily increasing, but that International has been producing below the demand over the past year to avoid getting caught up in a backlog of trucks like other manufacturers have.

Some industry observers estimate there is a glut of nearly 100,000 used Class 8 trucks on the market, approximately one year’s worth of normal production.