Maintaining its commercial vehicle onslaught while conquering new territory and setting new commercial standards, Dodge continues to extend its bold, Ram-tough leadership and heritage into the commercial vehicle market.
2008 Dodge Ram 3500 Chassis Cab
Led by three exceptionally powerful, capable and durable work trucks, the 2008 Dodge Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs - which will compete in the Class 3-5 medium-duty segments - the brand's commercial program is anchored by the 2008 Dodge Sprinter, the market's top-performing full-size van, and the all-new 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan cargo van.
"The commercial vehicle market is white space for the Dodge brand," said Mike Accavitti, Director - Dodge Brand SRT Marketing and Communications, Chrysler LLC. "We continue to fill this space with bold, powerful and capable commercial-grade vehicles."
2008 Dodge Sprinter Cargo Van
U.S. Commercial Vehicle Market
The overall U.S. commercial vehicle market is defined as all vehicles sold to businesses, organizations and individuals who use their vehicle primarily for business purposes.Two subsets further define the market -- dealer commercial sales of one to 49 units and fleet sales of 50 or more vehicles.
Last year, overall commercial vehicle sales increased 30 percent. Of the16.2 million vehicles sold last year, 5.3 million (33 percent) were commercial vehicles. Within the dealer commercial subset, three million new vehicles were purchased with 18 percent comprising commercial vehicle sales. Dealer commercial sales also account for 34 percent of all pickup and chassis sales, and represent 78 percent of full-size van sales.
2008 Dodge Ram 5500 Chassis Cab
"Dealer commercial sales represent a critical segment in our industry given that nearly one out of every five new vehicles sold in the U.S. is a commercial vehicle," added Accavitti.
Dodge Ram 3500 Chassis Cab increases retail share
In the marketplace less than a year, the Dodge Ram 3500 Chassis Cab bolted to the forefront and captured the number-one ranking in U.S. retail registrations and market share from the perennial leader, the Ford F-350, in the Class 3 conventional chassis cab market.
2008 Dodge Ram 4500 Chassis Cab
In August 2007, this leadership position was strengthened as the Ram 3500 Chassis Cab increased its monthly U.S. retail registrations, putting it even further ahead of the Ford F-350 Chassis Cab. Registrations for the Dodge truck totaled 1,037 compared with the Ford truck, which had 984 registrations. The Dodge Ram Chassis Cab also posted a 33 percent market share versus the Ford truck's 31 percent.
In addition, in April of this year, the Dodge Ram 3500 Chassis Cab's sales and market share surpassed the Chevy Silverado Chassis Cab, the perennial runner-up to the Ford big rig.
2008 Dodge Ram 3500 Box-Off
Dodge Ram Leadership Extends to Class 5 Commercial Trucks
With the introduction of the all-new 2008 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs earlier this year, Dodge's Ram-tough heritage and legacy extends to the Class 5 medium-duty segment.
Delivering maximum up-time while showcasing dominant commercial capability, durability and dependability, the 2008 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs feature numerous class-leading attributes and are the ultimate chassis cabs for commercial customers looking for dynamic, capable work trucks.
"With the addition of these two all-new work trucks, Dodge offers a full line of Class 2-5 commercial trucks," said Accavitti. "This solidifies our commercial strategy while offering our customers one-stop shopping for both their passenger vehicle and commercial transport needs."
The Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs compete in the Class 4 and 5 segments with a gross vehicle weight range of 14,000 to 19,500 lbs. Forecasting continued growth, total Class 4-5 vehicles sales were 100,000 units in 2006.
Targeted at small-business tradesmen, fleet customers and traditional chassis cab users, the new Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs round out Dodge's commercial vehicle lineup.