Commercial vehicles: Truckmakers circle the wagons

While carmakers worry about fickle markets and tightening regulation in Europe, most commercial vehicle producers are on a roll. In a market with fewer players and a more predictable customer base than for cars, truck sales on the continent have been ticking over well.

Surging demand for commercial vehicles in central and eastern Europe in particular is buoying the sector. Manufacturers are investing heavily in new capacity in the east amid a boom in construction and shipping in the new EU member states and the former Soviet Union.