Trailer Industry News Updates

The increase in head count was moved up from the first quarter of 2027, CEO Brent Yeagy said during Wabash’s third-quarter 2026 earnings call.

Motor carriers didn’t follow normal replacement schedules during the prolonged freight rate recession. That trend is starting to reverse.

U.S. trailer orders defied seasonal expectations in July, though the resulting gain from the prior year was against lukewarm results.

The freight market recovery is altering trailer demand positively in a fashion unseen in 40 years, Wabash’s CEO said, though the company still posted a loss in Q2.

Once a niche service, power-only brokerage has grown into a key transportation model for shippers, brokers and carriers seeking greater flexibility and efficiency.

Green shoots were obvious to Wabash executives when the company reported Q1 earnings May 1, but customer interest outpaced expectations for Q2.

The ACT Research report expected a sequential drop in net orders, with May traditionally marking the second-weakest order month of the annual cycle.

Preliminary net data from ACT Research showed orders rose 126% year over year to 19,400 units, though the report noted that prior-year trailer orders were weak.

Connected trailer technology is transforming cargo-theft prevention from passive tracking to active access control, said Jeff Irish, general manager of Road Ready.

Fleets are increasingly adopting connected trailer technology for real-time monitoring, better trailer health visibility and to diagnose and address problems early.