ROSLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y., (Feb. 18, 2004) — Repossessions of trucks and trailers declined dramatically in the U.S. last year — another strong signal that the trucking industry has rebounded, says Nassau Asset Management’s NasTrac Quarterly Index, a provider of full-service asset management and asset recovery and collections.

The NQI report says its public data provides a snapshot of recent recovery and sales activity compared with the same time frame a year before, helping equipment leasing and finance companies forecast current market conditions.

The data indicates a 56 per cent overall decrease in repossessions of trucks and trailers — the only one of the five top equipment categories tracked that showed improvement over all four quarters. Other positive trends within the industry include the growth in commercial trucks sales over the latter part of 2003 and projected into 2004.

Despite a rough 2003 first quarter, the construction sector also showed an overall improvement as the year progressed. The NQI reported a 24 per cent overall decline in repossessions for construction equipment.