The vibes are getting better in the trailer market.
Despite a slip in orders in June as the market returned from its later than anticipated order season peak to seasonal averages, external factors are shifting a positive manner for the industry, ACT Research reported Thursday in its most state of the market report.
The company cites equipment order intake positivity, freight rates increasing, policy impacts becoming clearer as steps in the right direction for the market.
Jennifer McNealy, director of CV market research and publications at ACT Research, says June’s reduction in orders to 13,500 units was the market slowing “in seasonal fashion.” The month was down 35% from May but only 9% off June 2025.
“June’s cancellation rate of 1.0%, as a percentage of backlog, dropped from ‘elevated’ territory, and now sits at the top of the target range,” says McNealy. “Still, it is an improvement from May’s 1.9% cancellation rate. Like last month, high cancellations were reported in most segments, meaning the situation was broad-based.”
On the order side, McNealy adds orders have now outpaced build for four of the six months in 2026. “June was one of the four, as about 4,500 more trailers were built than ordered, shrinking the backlog by 5% month over month, which doesn’t help the already anemic backlogs,” she says.
