Figures are in for new truck sales in April – and they’re pretty weak.

Truck manufacturers built 35 percent fewer Class 5 through Class 8 tractors in April 2007 than they did in April 2006. Part of the higher numbers from a year ago are attributed to the big pre-buy before the ’07 engines with increased emission controls were rolled out.

According to the investment banking firm Bear-Stearns, Volvo production was down 82 percent from a year ago. Freightliner was off 43 percent, and Paccar was down 33 percent.

An informal poll on landlinemag.com showed 53.7 percent of those responding made a major equipment purchase in 2006.