August Class 8 orders up slightly from July, up nearly 30% from last August

Net Class 8 truck orders came in at just under 20,000 in August (19,777) and were up just 3 percent over July, according to FTR Associates, who reports Class 8 orders monthly. However, net orders were up 29 percent from the same month in 2012, FTR said.

Annualized orders in the last six months dipped to 240,600, following four straight months in which net orders did not cross 20,000. The preliminary data includes order numbers for all major North American manufacturers.

FTR President Eric Starks said the data lines up with expectations. “Activity is modest but still suggests a flat production and sales market over the next few months,” he said. “We will be looking hard at the October orders to see if production expectations through the end of the year can be met.”