FTR reported Tuesday preliminary September net trailer orders at 21,500 units, up 47 percent from August and up an impressive 84 percent year-over-year.
FTR says orders met expectations and support the FTR forecast of another strong trailer market in 2018. Trailer orders have now totaled 275,000 units over the past twelve months, much in line with 2017 production numbers, FTR says.
“This is great news for the trailer market in 2018. When fleets begin ordering more trailers in September, it indicates the market should be robust the following year. We expect ordering activity to accelerate in October and stay elevated throughout Q4. Production rates should stay at higher levels, rolling right into 2018,” says Don Ake, FTR vice president of Commercial Vehicles.
“Freight expansion early next year will severely strain industry capacity, and fleets will need to add trailers to handle the added loads. Both the manufacturing and consumer sectors of the economy are healthy right now, and this should lead to increased demand for most trailer segments. Things look very positive for trailers right now.”
