August trailers orders outperformed expectations coming in at 35,300 units, according to an FTR announcement. This marks the second consecutive month of higher than anticipated trailer orders, with record August orders 27 percent higher than July and 141 percent year over year. Trailer orders for the past 12 months total 370,000 units.
Fleets continue to place their 2019 orders a few months ahead of schedule as most OEMs have opened up their order boards through the second quarter of next year. During August, some large fleets placed substantial orders for dry and refrigerated vans to reserve production slots for next year. Availability of parts and components remain tight, FTR states.
“Orders should remain sturdy for the rest of the year, with continued steady freight growth and tight industry capacity,” says Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial vehicles.
“There is strong demand for new trailers, and we expect this to continue well into 2019. It is a good sign that fleets expect a robust year in 2019 and are ordering trailers earlier than normal in anticipation,” Ake adds.
