US trailer orders declined year over year for the fourth consecutive month in August, according to ACT Research.
Preliminary net data showed orders fell 40 per cent year over year to 7,700 units. However, the total increased by about 500 units from July.
Seasonally adjusted results at this point in the annual order cycle boost the total for the month to 9,500 units. The only year-over-year increase this year was a 37 per cent rise in April.
“Despite the sequential order improvement, August data continue to bear witness to our expectations of weaker demand against the backdrop of elevated order velocity the past few years, continuing weak for-hire truck market fundamentals, and already-filled dealer inventories,” said the Director of Commercial Vehicle Market Research at ACT Research, Jennifer McNealy. “That said, it is important to remember that for orders, we remain in the weakest months of the annual cycle, suggesting stronger orders weren’t expected in August.”
McNealy said she expects fleets will be in a better position to buy equipment later this year as their earnings improve, but improvement will be off a very low base given this year’s profits. She anticipates that the next few months will reveal more about whether there will be an uptick in trailer demand as order books open up for 2025.
In other news, Schmitz Cargobull was awarded the International Trailer Award 2025 for the Body category.