Sales of used trucks in Class 3 and Class 4 provided a strong push in 2014 that made these classes the leaders in volume and growth among Class 3-7 vehicles, according to IHS Automotive.

Used trucks with a Class 3 GVW accounted for 219,000 units and a 6.2 percent growth rate for the full year compared with 2013. They represented 30.8 percent of total sales with the inclusion of Class 8 trucks. Class 8 trucks led all sales with 711,000 units and a 38.1-percent share of the used truck market.

Class 4 GVW trucks also showed a strong growth trajectory with 70,000 units and a 9.2-percent growth rate. They made up 9.9 percent of total used truck sales.

Other classes also showed growth including Class 5 with 37,000 units and a 3.6 percent growth rate over 2013 and Class 7 with 55,000 units and a 2.9 percent increase. Class 6 GVW trucks were flat at 59,000 units and a 0.5-percent increase over 2013.

"Clean used commercial vehicles remain in strong demand, even with the continued strengthening of the demand for new commercial vehicles," said Gary Meteer, director, commercial vehicle solutions for IHS Automotive. "The main challenge continues to be the availability of clean used equipment in the configuration required by small- to mid-size businesses looking to either replace older equipment or add to their fleet."

The 2014 full-year numbers represent the second best level in the past decade, according to IHS.