The country?s largest medium and heavy commercial vehicle (M&HCV) maker, Tata Motors, posted a 31% drop in sales in 2012-13 to 1.43 lakh units. In 2011-12, the company had sold 2.07 lakh M&HCVs. While the main reason for the lower demand for trucks was lower factory output, analysts say that rising competition in the segment and heavy discounting from rivals has also hit the market leader which accounts for 54% volumes in the M&HCV market. Ashok Leyland, the second largest player, has also seen M&HCV sales drop 13% to 61,710 units in April-February FY13. To lower its rising inventory levels, Tata Motors has taken five block closures at its commercial vehicle plants and in mid-February (with subsidiary TML Drivelines) asked around 75% of its 5,500-odd temporary workers at the Jamshedpur CV plant to go on rest. Meanwhile, despite a hike in diesel prices, truck rentals on trunk routes also fell between 1.5% to 3% in March because of flat factory output and a 10-15% drop in fruit and vegetable cargo, said transport research agency IFTRT.