COLUMBUS, Ind. — September preliminary North American Class 8 net orders were 36,800 units, up 67% month-over-month, reflecting the strongest order month in the past year, according to ACT Research. Classes 5-7 net orders were more trend-like, rising 13% month-over-month to 23,100 units.
Complete industry data for September, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-October.
“Between reports of falling carrier income and margins, still sloshy load-to-truck ratios, weak spot rates reported by DAT, and a sense over the past six weeks or so that the US economy’s year-to-date outperformance was starting to lose some momentum, we were unsure how the market would respond when the 2024 orderboards officially opened,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst. “One thing we did know was that nearly all the August-ending Class 8 backlog was scheduled for build in 2023, so strong orders are imperative for the industry to maintain current strong production rates very far into 2024.”
Vieth added that “while it is too early to infer much from September orders, data from the OEMs confirm the ‘season’ started on the right foot.”
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
