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Trailer orders slowly catch up to seasonality in June
Orders decreased 9% year over year to 13,500 units
(Western Trailers via Facebook)
Key Takeaways:
- ACT Research said preliminary June net trailer orders fell 9% year over year to 13,500 units and dropped 35% from May.
- The slowdown reflected a return to normal seasonal patterns after atypical order strength in April and May driven by improving trucking fundamentals and rising freight rates.
- ACT’s Jennifer McNealy said caution persists among trailer buyers as higher maintenance costs and pent-up demand continue influencing purchasing decisions.
U.S. trailer orders slowed down as expected for June after several months of atypical behavior.
ACT Research reported preliminary net data showed orders decreased 9% to 13,500 units.
They were also 35% below what was reported for May. But this slowdown reflects expected seasonal patterns after several months during which net orders behaved counter to what is historically expected.
“The order upticks that should have started in September or October of last year didn’t actually begin until December,” said Jennifer McNealy, director of commercial vehicle market research for ACT. “The atypical strength in orders in April and May reflects improving trucking fundamentals, buttressed by rising freight rates.”
McNealy noted that typically the seasonal slowdown of trailer orders starts in March.
This is usually when fleets have determined their equipment needs for the year and truck manufacturers start building down the backlog.
[July State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers Preliminary Update] - Preliminary Net Trailer Order Activity Shows Seasonal Slowing in June
Read more from the preliminary update here: https://t.co/ChoyejW6A2 pic.twitter.com/SyKQ7Fot3p — ACT Research (@actresearch) July 20, 2026
June usually marks the third weakest month of the annual order cycle.
“Regardless of the timing, the order upticks certainly were welcome, but were premature in terms of 2027 order timing and the opening by OEMs of next year’s calendars,” McNealy said. “Additionally, caution remains a strategy for some trailer purchasers.”
McNealy added that the past few years have been hard for carriers even with rates now rising. She warned pent-up demand and the risks of higher maintenance costs remain issues that weigh on the decision-making process.
