Source: The Canadian Press

Strong truck sales were the main contributor as the number of new vehicles sold rose 4.2% to 134,845 in September.

Statistics Canada reports preliminary industry data indicate the number of new vehicles sold remained unchanged in October.

Sales of trucks (which include minivans, sport-utility vehicles, light and heavy trucks, vans and buses) increased 5.8% to 77,885 in September after declining in August.

Trucks sales remained higher than passenger-car sales, as they have been for most months since the second half of 2009.

Sales of passenger cars rose t2% to 56,960 in September.

The agency says the main contributor to that advance was a 2.9% sales increase of North American-built passenger cars, while sales of overseas-built passenger cars rose 0.9%.

New-vehicle sales increased in all provinces in September.

Sales rose 6.8% in Ontario, 2.4% in Alberta and 8.8% in Nova Scotia — the largest percentage increase in the country.