Class 8 orders slip in March, strong demand to come, ACT says

Class 8 orders in March fell sequentially for the first month since November, but don’t read too much into the fact they dropped, says ACT Research, as a drop in cancellations alludes to big demand to come later this year.

Moreover, Class 8 orders for the sixth straight month topped the 20,000-order mark. Medium-duty (Class 5-7 trucks) totaled 15,400 units, ACT reports.

Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst for ACT, says cancellations fell to their lowest levels since the third quarter of 2010 — the second time in the last three months.

“Declining cancellation trends in the U.S. and Canada bode well for the future,” he said. Moreover, Vieth said, Class 8 orders headed for Mexico and Canada rose to their highest levels in nearly two years, “reflecting healthy economies and perhaps currency strength,” Vieth says.