DUBLIN, Va. — Volvo expects a strong North American truck market in 2018 — and its current projection of 280,000 Class 8 truck sales is expected to push “significantly higher” when a quarterly report is released in April, says Magnus Koeck, vice-president of marketing and brand management.

“We have a very, very strong market. It will be a good year, a good year to be in trucking,” he adds.

Several factors are driving the strong numbers, including a healthy labor market, consumer spending that’s driving GDP higher, and a rebound in the manufacturing sector. Some “moderate” expansion in manufacturing is expected into this year, he explained during a media briefing today. A slight increase in construction is expected as well.

“Timing wise it couldn’t be better for us,” Koeck added, referring to a new product line including the VNL, VNR, and as of today, a new heavy-hauling VNX.

The last of the company’s legacy products was produced a couple of weeks ago.

Volvo enters the strong market with a broader product portfolio than the past, too.

The company is well known in the longhaul segment, which last year accounted for 42.7% of Class 8 sales in the U.S. and Canada. This year the share is expected to rise to 45%.

Regional haulers accounted for just under 29% of the truck sales. And reception of the regional-hauling VNR has been “overwhelming,” he added of the model unveiled last year in Montreal during the Expocam trade show. “Way and above what we thought.”

Heavy-haulers, meanwhile, account for 8-9% of the Canada and U.S. Class 8 market. While Volvo doesn’t officially split those results, the applications are clearly a larger share of Canada’s trucking industry.

“It’s a high-profile segment,” he said. “We are taking a further step into that segment, which will strengthen our position as a brand.”