COLUMBUS, Ind. — March net U.S. trailer orders of 37,901 units increased more than 40% from the previous month and were nearly 28% higher compared to March of 2021.
Before accounting for cancellations, new orders of 38.4 thousand grew about 37% versus February, but expanded only about 16% from the previous March, according to this month’s issue of ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailer Report.
ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report provides a monthly review of the current US trailer market statistics, as well as trailer OEM build plans and market indicators divided by all major trailer types, including backlogs, build, inventory, new orders, cancellations, net orders and factory shipments.
It is accompanied by a database that gives historical information from 1996 to the present, as well as a ready-to-use graph packet, to allow organizations in the trailer production supply chain, and those following the investment value of trailers, trailer OEMs, and suppliers to better understand the market.
“While total net orders jumped 40% m/m in March, the strength was dry van-centric. A 71% sequential surge in dry van net orders accounted for 96% of the total industry month-over-month gain,” said Frank Maly, director–CV transportation analysis and research at ACT Research.
He continued, “On a year-over-year basis, net orders were up 28%, with a similar story to the monthly results. Dry vans, joined by reefers, provided more than the full market improvement, while the other eight trailer categories totaled 1.1k lower on a year-over-year basis.”
Maly concluded with a discussion of the backlog-to-build ratio, saying, “With OEMs rapidly filling available 2022 production slots [both dry van and reefer BL/BU stretch into December at current build rates], we expect orders and production to travel in lockstep until 2023 orderboards officially open. When that occurs, fleets likely will rush to formalize commitments that are already under discussion and negotiation.”
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