Orders levels for Class 8 trucks and trailers each reached record levels last month.
U.S. trailer orders for July surprised at 28,000 units and have totaled 350,000 units for the past 12 months. Orders were up 109 percent year-over-year, according to FTR. July’s all-time high of 52,250 trucks surpassed the previous record of 52,194 orders logged in March 2006.
“Usually July is the lowest order month of the year, but not this year,” says Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial vehicles.
Ake says OEMs have opened up some of their 2019 order board, allowing fleets to reserve build spots and lock in prices earlier than normal. Carriers expect to add more trucks in 2019 and will need additional trailers for them, setting the stage for what Ake expects to be a “robust” trailer market in 2019.
“Strong economic and freight growth is expected to continue and, as a result, trailer production is at record levels,” Ake says. “Orders should stay elevated as fleets continue to place orders earlier than normal for 2019.”
