ACT says the immediate challenge in the commercial vehicle market is the ability for manufacturers to ramp up production, particularly for Class 8 but also perhaps for trailers heading into 2027.
"Supply side constraints remain the defining feature of this cycle to date, even as carrier profitability improves and replacement demand builds," says Ken Vieth, ACT president and senior analyst. "With Class 8 backlogs long and the industry working through the growing pains of ramping production, the outlook for new equipment demand is healthy but increasingly dependent on how quickly supply chains and manufacturing tiers can respond."
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Those supply-side challenges are driven by regulatory and judicial changes, ACT says. Taking that into consideration, the latest North American Commercial Vehicle Outlook leaves both the Classes 5-7 and Class 8 forecasts unchanged for September. The trailer forecast was reduced incrementally on perceived supply chain ramp challenges.
The Outlook reports on the forecast for the trucking industry, including commercial vehicle demand, tactical and strategic market analyses, and forecasts out to five years.
