Trailer Orders Soar Again in Usually Weak July, Topping 14,000
Trailer orders in July jumped 41% year-over-year, supported by demand for dry vans and flatbeds.
Preliminary net orders in July reached 14,450 units, up from 10,147 a year earlier, according to ACT Research Co., with July’s final volume number available later in August.
July is typically the weakest month for orders as “fleets pause to reassess their equipment needs for the remainder of the year,” said Frank Maly, ACT’s director of commercial vehicle transportation analysis and research.
“The 30% decline from June is directionally correct but a bit more than we might have expected,” Maly said.
June’s order total was 20,375, according to ACT.
The industry year-to-date booked more than 153,000 net orders, and fleet confidence coincided with last fall’s election and is “obviously ongoing”, according to ACT.
“Another positive for the industry is that cancellations remain low,”Maly said. “Fleets are obviously standing firm with their order commitments, an indication of fleet confidence in the near-to-medium term outlook.”
