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Class 8 orders in February up 30 percent year over year

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The number of Class 8 truck orders in February rose 30 percent from the same month last year, building off preliminary data released earlier this month showing the rolling three-month period ending in February was one of the best three-month stretches for orders since early 2006.

The surge began in October, ATC says, and backlog has now been pushed to two years, says ACT’s Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst.

“The change in heavy-duty order velocity that began in October continued into February,” Vieth said. “Despite falling below the previous two months, February’s order intake was the fifth best since [second quarter of 2006], leading to a two-year high backlog.”

Class 5-7 orders, ACT says, were up 18 percent in February from the same month in 2012.

ACT said in its preliminary report earlier this month that the annualized rate of the three-month period ending in February was 320,000 seasonally adjusted orders.