ACT Research has warned there are clouds on the horizon for trailer customers and dealers, although its latest State of Industry Report recognises it is, seasonably, the weakest time of the year for forward looking metrics.
“As expected, production outpaced orders again in June, dropping trailer backlogs 12 per cent sequentially and ten per cent year-over-year,” said ACT Director Market Research and Publications, Jennifer McNealy.
“Dry van, reefer and flatbed backlogs were down month-over-month, while dumps were higher, as net orders slightly outpaced build in that segment. Despite the big sequential drop in trailer backlogs, the seasonally adjusted backlog-to-build ratio shed a modest 20 bases points to 7.1 months in June from May’s 7.3-month level and 8.5 months from last June.”
In terms of cancellations, McNealy said that fleet commitments remained mixed in June with OEMs reporting that they are coming from the dealer network, although fleet and model-year cancellation-rebooks are being reported as the 2024 orderboards begin to open and slots get pushed.
Meanwhile, trucking firm, Yellow, avoids strike.