COLUMBUS, IN -“The foundation is in place for 2015 to be the best trailer market since the late 1990s,” says Frank Maly, analyst at ACT Research.

ACT’s latest report on trailer order numbers showed strong growth in January, despite drop from December. Total trailer order backlog is at the highest level in nearly 20 years, Maly says.

Net orders in January hit 19,853, down 32 percent from December, but still up 18 percent year-over-year. The recent resolution of the West Coast port labor dispute is seen as a net positive for the trailer industry, as orders will rise to meet the pent-up demand.

Maly commented: “Part of January’s strength resulted from some out-of-pattern orders as fleets are getting in queue for equipment. Trailer demand continues to receive support from a wide array of factors, including solid freight volumes, pent-up demand for replacement equipment, and increased consumer and business spending.”

The West Coast labor dispute had stopped the flow of imported goods from entering some of the U.S.’s largest ports, negatively affecting a variety of industries including trucking. With the issue now resolved, Maly says that the economy has likely avoided a “significant headwind.”