New trailer orders in North America rose by nearly a third from September to 24,707 units in October, according to by ACT Research Co.
“Dry vans were responsible for much of the month-over-month industry gain,” said Frank Maly, Director-CV Transportation with ACT Research. “Another welcome move for the industry was the gain in backlogs, the first backlog increase since April.
“Quotation activity is reportedly strong as well, suggesting that peak order season should unfold as expected over the coming months. Rising orders and subsequent backlog gains through Q1 will sustain the industry though the period of soft orders that should begin in late Q2,” he added.
Meanwhile, the American Trucking Associations announced that the US 'For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index' went down 3.8 per cent in October. “Clearly Hurricane Sandy negatively impacted October’s tonnage reading,” Bob Costello, ATA Chief Economist, said. “However, it is impossible for us to determine the exact impact.
“I’d expect some positive impact on truck tonnage as the rebuilding starts in the areas impacted by Sandy, although that boost may only be modest in November and December,” he said. “Excluding the Hurricane impacts, I still think truck tonnage is decelerating along with factory output and consumer spending on tangible-goods.”