FTR Associates on Friday, Feb. 5, released preliminary data showing January 2010 Class 8 truck total net orders for all major North American OEMs were 6,221 units, the lowest level since July 2002. The figure includes the United States, Canada, Mexico and Exports. January’s order activity was down 46.4 percent from December and was 20.1 percent lower than the same month a year ago.
“The very low order activity for January was not unexpected,” says Eric Starks, FTR president. “When fleets took advantage of open build slots in late 2009, we knew this activity would take away from planned orders in the New Year. We continue to expect a soft first half for 2010 but believe some demand will slowly return late in the year. Our overall annual forecast for Class 8 production this year remains relatively flat from 2009, with significant improvement expected in 2011.”
