COLUMBUS, IN — Class 8 truck orders doubled in December 2013 from both the month and the year before, making it the second biggest Class 8 order month since March 2006.

“The U.S. and Canada did the ‘heavy lifting’ for Class 8 orders in December, while Mexico and non-NAFTA orders moved sideways at low levels,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research Co. (ACT).

And while medium duty December 2013 orders were lower than those in November, when compared to December 2012, orders were mixed: Classes 6-7 rose 20 percent and Class 5 orders fell16 percent.

For the year, Class 8 orders were up 17 percent from 2012 and Classes 5-7 orders rose 10 percent, according to the State of the Industry report, recently released by ACT, which publishes new and used commercial vehicle data and market analysis. The report covers Classes 5 through 8 vehicles for the North American market.

“Strengthening domestic demand has been supported in the second half of the year by improving economic activity that has translated into improved profits for truckers,” Vieth added. “The softness in December’s Classes 5-7 orders is viewed as a temporary pause following two very strong order months for medium duty.”