COLUMBUS, Ind. — According to this month’s issue of ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report, with equipment order intake improving, freight rates increasing, policy impacts becoming clearer and despite concerns remaining, optimism is on the rise.
“After delivering counter to cyclical expectations results the past three months, net order intake in June slowed in seasonal fashion,” said Jennifer McNealy, director–CV market research & publications, ACT. “Net US trailer orders in June were 13,500 units, down about 7,300 units from May, a 35% month-to-month decrease.
According to McNealy, compared to June 2025, this year’s intake was 1,300 units lower, nearly a 9% decrease.
“June’s cancellation rate of 1.0%, as a percentage of backlog, dropped from ‘elevated’ territory, and now sits at the top of the target range,” McNealy said. “Still, it is an improvement from May’s 1.9% cancellation rate. Like last month, high cancellations were reported in most segments, meaning the situation was broad-based.”
Net Orders Outpacing Builds
“Net orders have now outpaced build for four of the six months in 2026,” McNealy said. “June was one of the four, as about 4.5k more trailers were built than ordered, shrinking the backlog by 5% m/m, which doesn’t help the already anemic backlogs.”
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.
