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Sales of Class 8 trucks slowed in November, gaining just 1% from the same month last year, while marking the third straight month of year-over-year increases, WardsAuto.com reported.

New Class 8 truck orders climbed 27.4% in September from year-ago levels to 20,100, the highest total since May, according to preliminary figures from ACT Research.

The average price of used Class 8 trucks rose again in March, increasing 6% from February, and buyers accepted higher-mileage vehicles as well, according to ACT Research Co. and retail dealers.

The U.S. Class 8 truck fleet appears to have halted a lengthy decline, according to new registration data for the last quarter of 2010, and fleet executives, truck dealers and analysts all said vehicle sales should continue to rise.

Orders for new Class 8 trucks in North America more than doubled in December from the same month in 2009 and totaled more than 25,000 units, two research organizations reported.

U.S. registrations of new Class 8 trucks increased 7.8% in the second quarter compared with the same 2009 period, but failed to keep up with equipment retirements, as the total of heavy-duty trucks registered in June declined slightly from last year, according to R.L. Polk & Co.

New U.S. registrations of heavy-duty trucks grew 8.4% in April compared with the same month a year ago, following an 11.3% gain in March, according to R.L. Polk & Co.

The global market for commercial trucks is showing signs of recovery, but demand over the next few years is likely to stay far below the peak levels of 2006 in North America and 2008 in Europe, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said.