IRVINE, CA – Truck deliveries by world No.2 truck-maker Volvo fell four percent in January through August as gains in Europe and Asia failed to offset lingering weakness in North America. Volvo said it delivered 135,781 trucks in the period, down from 141,966 a year earlier. This would mean deliveries in August fell seven percent year-on-year to 11,411 trucks, Reuters’ calculations showed.

Heavy-duty truck sales in North America, Volvo’s second-biggest market, have fallen sharply in recent months after a buying spree ahead of new emission rules came to a jarring halt at the turn of the year. The firm has forecast the North American market will shrink about 40 percent to between 200,000 and 220,000 trucks this year, with demand recovering some time during the second half.

Volvo’s North American truck deliveries fell 59 percent year-on-year in January through August, indicating a decline of 50 percent in August.

In Europe, Volvo is forecasting a market of a robust 330,000 units this year, boosted by strong demand in eastern Europe. In January through August, the group’s deliveries rose four percent for an estimated seven percent year-on-year rise.

But in western Europe, where profit margins on truck sales are stronger than further east, shipments fell an estimated four percent in both January through August and in August.

Volvo makes trucks under the brand names Mack, Renault, Volvo and, since April 1, Nissan Diesel, which it added to its stable in a $US1.1 billion deal earlier this year.

The acquisition of the Japanese truck maker has helped boost the group’s footprint in Asia where deliveries were up 158 percent in the year through August.