FTR Associates on Wednesday, May 6, released preliminary data showing Class 8 total net orders for all major North American OEMs totaling 7,935 units in April, down 9 percent from March 2009. The figure includes orders for the United States, Canada, Mexico and exports. April 2009 orders, 57 percent less than April 2008, reflect an annualized rate of 95,220 units and continue to represent a significantly depressed Class 8 retail sales environment, according to FTR.
“We don’t see any near-term increases in Class 8 order activity because the fundamentals of the trucking industry today don’t support that,” says Eric Starks, president of FTR Associates. “FTR takes a hard look at everything likely to impact Class 8 sales, and right now, that data indicates no significant improvement in new equipment demand.”
Final data for April will be available from FTR later in the month as part of its North American Commercial Truck & Trailer Outlook service. For more information, contact Starks at [email protected] or 888-988-1699 ext.41.
FTR Associates, based in Nashville, Ind., says its U.S. Freight Model collects and analyzes all data likely to impact freight movement and is based on specific characteristics for more than 200 commodity groups. FTR Associates’ forecast reports cover trucking and rail transportation and include demand analysis for commercial vehicle as well as railcar. Specially designed reports are offered to participants in both industries to cover specific needs. For more information, go to www.ftrassociates.net.
