BLOOMINGTON, COLUMBUS Ind. — FTR and ACT Research are both reporting improvements regarding preliminary North American Class 8 net orders for May.
According to FTR, North American Class 8 net orders in May rose 40% month-over-month (m/m) from April’s very low level but were down 47% year-over-year (y/y) at 12,000 units. Orders were well below the seven-year May average of 18,319 orders and represented the lowest May order total since 2020. Through May, orders for the last 12 months totaled 260,355 units.
“Tariff volatility and uncertainty over the economy and the truck freight market continue to disrupt the North American Class 8 truck and tractor market,” said Dan Moyer, senior analyst, commercial vehicles at FTR. “Legal challenges surrounding emergency tariffs (reciprocal tariffs and those related to fentanyl) and the potential introduction of Section 232 tariffs on Classes 4-8 trucks and their components adds further uncertainty to the market environment. Coupled with the anticipated revisions to the EPA 2027 NOx standards, these factors have led many fleets to postpone equipment investment decisions.”
Tariffs a Major Factor
The improvement versus April might result from lowering – at least temporarily – of tariffs on many countries versus the steep levels announced in early April, especially the lowering of tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%. Even with the m/m improvement, the y/y decline was steep. Also, net orders in 2025 were down 32% y/y through May, and retail truck sales in 2025 were down 11% y/y through April, according to FTR.
ACT Research
According to ACT Research, May preliminary North America Class 8 net orders of 13,200 units improved m/m but declined 44% y/y. Complete industry data for May, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-June.
“Given the uncertainty around ‘Liberation Day’ in April’s data that sent order activity across the board to 59-month lows, it’s little surprise preliminary order activity for May showed m/m improvement, with total NA Classes 5-8 net orders expected at 26,400 units when released mid-month,” said Carter Vieth, research analyst at ACT Research. “Though, it’s worth highlighting two things:
- Continued trade uncertainty will slow order activity.
- We have now entered the weakest seasonal period for orders, so improvement, if any, likely won’t reveal itself until the opening of 2026 order boards in Q3 of this year.”
Regarding medium duty, Vieth noted that preliminary May NA Classes 5-7 orders fell 32% y/y to 13,200 units, the second weakest net order tally since the pandemic, only surpassed by April’s weak showing. Seasonally adjusted, Classes 5-7 orders rose 8.5% m/m to 14,300 units, a 171k SAAR.
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.
