August's final North American Class 8 orders dropped 34% month over month, but that's typical for the time of year, ACT Research says.
"While sequential weakness in Class 8 orders is in line with normal patterns for this time of year, robust year over year gains highlight the continued influence of supply side freight market constraints and regulatory clarity," says Carter Vieth, research analyst with ACT. "With spot freight rates up sharply and fleets gaining more planning and visibility around EPA 2027 and non-compliance penalties, we expect order activity to rebound as seasonality improves and new year orderboards open."
Class 8 orders totaled 16,951 units in August, which up 32% over last year. Full backlogs and not-yet-open 2027 orderboards also pulled down the total, ACT says.
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"Despite increased macroeconomic uncertainty and elevated diesel prices, demand for new equipment remains solid, particularly in the tractor segment, where orders were up 39% year-over-year," Vieth says.
ACT's State of the Industry: North American Classes 5-8 report also showed medium-duty orders are up 37% year over year, hitting 19,966 units.
"Medium-duty order strength appears to be supported by dealer inventory stocking ahead of regulatory changes and higher prices," Vieth says.
