FTR says November U.S. trailer orders are down 38% from September orders and 45% from November 2022.
"With orders coming in under production levels, backlogs in November fell slightly, shedding almost 2,500 units to end at just over 140,000 units," says Eric Starks, chairman of the board for FTR. "The more pronounced fall in production resulted in an increase for the backlog-to-build ratio to 5.9 months. This ratio is in line with the historical average prior to 2020 and suggests the industry is moving towards a pre-pandemic level of stability."
The number of trailers ordered over the last 12 months is just above 276,700 units.
Production was 23,770 in November, down 12% month over month. That's the lowest build rate since last year, but the company says a drop in production after October is normal. The average monthly build remains at a healthy 27,200 units.
