Trailers, truck orders both rise in October

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As preliminary data indicated earlier this month, truck and trailer orders from September to October surged despite electoral and fiscal uncertainty and Hurricane Sandy’s disruption of business, say reports from ACT Research. 

Orders for new trailers rose by nearly 35 percent to 24,707 in October, with dry van sales accounting for much of the month-over-month growth, says Frank Maly, Director of Commercial Vehicle Transportation at ACT. “Quotation activity is reportedly strong, suggesting that peak order season should unfold as expected over the coming months,” Maly says. “Rising orders and subsequent backlog gains through Q1 will sustain the industry through the period of soft orders that should begin in late Q2,” he says. 

Orders for Class 8 trucks rose to 23,431 for the month, rising “meaningfully above trend,” says ACT’s report. Medium-duty truck orders rose 35 percent month over month and year over year to 19,285 units, spurred by a surge in housing-related activity, ACT says.