Repossessions of trucks and trailers declined throughout all four quarters of 2003, signaling good news for the U.S. trucking industry, according to Nassau Asset Management's NasTrac Quarterly Index.

"Just as the overall economy strengthened in 2003, we noted significant improvements in three of the five top equipment repossession categories that we resell – trucks, printing presses and construction,” Ed Castagna, senior vice president of Nassau Asset Management, said.

Castagna said the 2003 data, when compared with 2002, indicate a 56 percent overall decrease in repossessions of trucks and trailers. Trucks and trailers were 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, according to the Truck Renting and Leasing Association.

Nassau has tracked equipment for several decades as a function of its nationwide remarketing operation, which resells all types of assets, including trucks, construction equipment, printing presses, machine tools, medical devices and buses. The company in 2003 launched NQI, which reports on equipment types generating the greatest volume of liquidations.