Frank Maly, Director–CV Transportation Analysis and Research at ACT, says much of August’s improvement came from large fleet volume, and the gains were not evenly spread across competitive segments.
“While negotiations continue regarding fleets’ 2017 equipment needs, there appears to be less enthusiasm in the discussions than reported earlier this summer,” he says, adding overcapacity, lackluster year-over-year fleet financials for the second quarter, and minimal expectations for improvement in freight rates are generating investment headwinds. “After several years of solid and ever-earlier order placement, expect this order cycle to be less robust and straggling.”
