COLUMBUS, Ind. — According to this month’s issue of ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report, December had the highest BL/BU rates for 2025 and while victory in the sense of “we survived 2025” can be claimed, good news remains elusive.
“December’s cancellation rate, as a percentage of backlog, remained high at a more subdued 1.8% versus November’s 2.5% rate,” said Jennifer McNealy, director–CV market research & publications, ACT. “Data continued to show elevated cancellations in the van and tank segments. The highest cancellation rates came from the tank segments, attributed to a decline in oil/gas activity.”
According to McNealy, bigger backlogs and a lower December build rate conspired to push the backlog-to-build ratio higher for the first time in 2025. Backlogs started the year at 7.5 months and trended lower from there. December’s 4.4-month ratio commits the industry into Q2’26.”
“End-of-2025 challenges continue as the trailer industry enters the new year, and opportunities in early 2026 remain thin,” McNealy said. “Positively, freight rates are now rising and the need to replace aging equipment continues to build. Pent-up replacements are expected to improve demand later this year.”
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
