May Trailer Orders Slip 1%

New trailer orders for May slipped 1% from a year ago to 15,660 units, according to ACT Research.

Orders fell 30% month-over-month from April trailer orders, which had posted an 8.2% year-over-year increase, the first such gain for the year.

ACT said the May orders were “more in line with seasonal expectations.”

“Cancellations continue to be a nonissue for the industry, although they did increase month-over-month in May, “ said Frank Maly, ACT’s director of commercial-vehicle transportation.

“It was evident that some fleets reassessed their commitments for the second half of the year, since cancellations were at 7.9% of new orders,” he added.

Maly said softer orders in May were not a concern, since the industry is past the prime order season.