November orders of tractors and trailers way up

COLUMBUS, IN – Demand for the heaviest commercial vehicles was reflected in November Class 8 orders, which reached 40,925 units – the fifth best order month since ACT Research started collecting industry data in the early 1980s.

These results were published in ACT’s latest state-of-the-industry report, covering Classes 5 through 8 vehicles for the North American market.

“Class 8 has the largest backlog since October 2006 and on a per day basis, November’s build was the second best since December 2006,” said ACT president and senior analyst, Kenny Vieth.

Medium duty demand was not as notable, he said. “After a strong run from August to October that was in part augmented by the annual school bus order surge, medium duty orders pulled back in November, falling 3% year-over-year to 17,691 units.”

Trailer orders also up

ACT Research also reports that November trailer orders were just over 36,000 units, up 43% year over year.

“The opening months of this order cycle reflect unprecedented strength,” said Frank Maly, director of CV transportation analysis and research. “September, October, and November order volumes are all in the industry top 10.

They are also the strongest three consecutive order months in industry history.”  Year-to-date, net orders are up 55%.

Maly added that industry backlogs continue to grow and are now at the highest level of the recovery – double that of a year ago.


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