Preliminary reports from ACT Research show that net trailer orders dipped in January, with 24,200 units projected to have been booked during the month.
ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report provides a monthly review of the current United States trailer market statistics, as well as trailer OEM build plans and market indicators divided by all major trailer types.
ACT Research Director CV Market Research & Publications, Jennifer McNealy, said the organisation expected net orders to slow in January after the explosion of orders in 2022’s final quarter.
“Despite the anticipated sequential decline, preliminary net orders were only 9% lower compared to the same month last year,” she said.
“This month’s data are simply a return to more normal levels, following the year-end surge.
“Nearly as soon as a build slot is available, there is a fleet ready to fill it with an order. Demand remains strong, and with the backlog-to-build ratio near the 10-month mark, on average, fleets needing trailers continue to stay the course.”
However, according to McNealy, the trailer backlog should decrease by around 400 units when complete January data are released.
“That said, with orders being preliminary and the build number a projection, there will be some variability in reported backlogs when final data are collected,” she said.
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