ACT Research reported preliminary North American Class 8 net orders of 21,600 units in August. Class 5-7 orders were 18,400 units.
“Last month, we sounded a note of caution, with the caveat that there were a number of mitigating factors (extended backlogs, order seasonality, and still-closed 2023 order boards) that prevented us from extrapolating too much from July’s weak orders,” says Eric Crawford, ACT’s vice president and senior analyst. “In spite of increased economic uncertainty, carrier profitability and unmet demand continue to support activity.”
Crawford adds that using preliminary August orders and the corresponding OEM build plans last month's ACT Research State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 Vehicles report for guidance, the Class 8 backlog should fall by around 8,900 units when complete August data is released. In the medium-duty space, the Class 5-7 backlog should decline by “around 3,400 units to 132,200 units, representing [approximately] 6.1 months of production.”
