Trailer backlog continued to be positive in November, with a stronger than expected 18 per cent sequential improvement, which was more than double the gains projected by seasonals, according to US market research company, ACT Research.
“Dry vans, up 23 per cent month-over-month, and reefers, up 18 per cent month-over-month, provided most of the support; most vocational trailer categories posted single-digit gains,” said ACT Research Director – CV Transportation Analysis and Research, Frank Maly. “Liquid tanks, up 24 per cent month-over-month, were a notable exception.”
Total production was off 12 per cent month-over-month, but up two per cent year-over-year, according to ACT Research. The majority of that difference reportedly came from November’s holiday-impacted schedule, down two days from October.
“Reefers posted the largest decline, with build off 20 per cent,” said Maly “That was more than twice the decline projected by seasonals and the weakest monthly production since November 2013. We expect reefer production rates to improve in December, before moving seasonally lower in Q1 2018.”