December 2014 was the second strongest month on record for the US trailer industry, according to research company ACT.
The final month of 2014 saw 44,000 net orders, the company said in a press release – a number roughly in line with FTR’s estimate published last week.
For the full year 2014, net orders were 359,000, almost 55 per cent up over 2013.
“The industry orderboard has reached a level not seen in almost 20 years,” said Frank Maly, Director – CV Transportation Analysis and Research at ACT.
“The last four months of 2014 all rank in the top 10 net order months in history.
“As we look forward into 2015, strong orders, long backlogs, solid freight volumes, a healthy economic outlook, an old fleet, and rising trucker profitability … lay the groundwork for the best trailer market since the late 1990s.”