COLUMBUS, IN – Attributed to increased build days, March saw a 25% increase in trailer production compared to February — the highest production level since March of last year.

“Roughly 60% of the month-over-month gain came from the additional build days in the quarter-ending month, while the remaining 40% improvement came from a 94 upd sequential jump in the build rate,” said Frank Maly, director of CV Transportation Analysis and Research at ACT Research.

Even with that surge, Maly said it appears that the industry’s additional production capacity is still not being fully utilized.

Trailer shipments closed the first quarter with a 26% increase compared to February, with all trailer categories being up compared to last month. The 26% sequential gain was almost exactly aligned with seasonal expectations said Maly. 

“The strong orderboard turnaround that began in December is finally being reflected in build and shipments.”