FTR Associates on Wednesday, Nov. 2, released preliminary data showing October Class 8 truck total net orders for all major North American OEMs increased 17 percent over September to 27,395 units, a 46 percent year-over-year increase and the third consecutive month of increasing order activity.
Orders for the three-month period of August, September and October annualize to 287,500 units. “The uptick in orders was anticipated and came in at the high end of those expectations,” says Eric Starks, FTR president. “The healthy order activity signals that the sluggish economy is not negatively impacting carriers.”
Starks says October typically is the beginning of the strongest ordering season for trucks, with expected delivery in the first and second quarters of the following year. “The current order activity is a good beginning for the fourth quarter of 2011 and should solidify early 2012 OEM build plans,” Starks says.
