Trailer and Class 8 truck orders in the United States declined in April 2025, according to two industry research reports.
Indiana based freight transportation forecaster, FTR has reported that net trailer orders for April in the US “sharply declined” to 10,669 units, down 50 per cent month-over-month and 23 per cent year-over-year.
The report said the slump was due to the market facing pressure caused by “substantial tariff volatility and increasing uncertainty over the economy and the truck freight market”.
FTR found that based on the yearly figures, trailer net orders for 2025 totalled 76,901 units (YTD), representing a 27 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
Additionally, with trailer builds, the total number manufactured in the US for April decreased one per cent (m/m) and 26 per cent (y/y) to 17,619 units.
On a year-to-date basis, FTR reported that 2025 trailer builds fell 30 per cent (y/y) to 63,756 units, an average of 15,939 per month.
Correlating to the decrease in trailer orders and builds, the report found that backlogs decreased by 6,562 units (-5 per cent m/m; -19 per cent y/y) to 120,350 units.
FTR senior analyst for commercial vehicles, Dan Moyer, said: “US tariffs and potential retaliatory measures will significantly impact the US trailer market, raising costs for imported materials and affecting domestic production.
“OEMs and suppliers can expect higher production costs, reduced margins, and potentially softer demand, prompting some potential shifts toward local sourcing or domestic manufacturing.
“Some fleets may delay new trailer purchases – reflected in the sharp decline in April net orders – and extend equipment lifecycles, boosting aftermarket activity.
“Rising costs might also encourage limited industry consolidation, creating acquisition opportunities for larger manufacturers.
“Trailer industry participants that proactively manage supply chain disruptions and pricing pressures may gain a competitive advantage.”
While US trailer orders slumped, the report found they exceeded North America Class 8 net orders for a third straight month.
According to ACT Research, preliminary North America Class 8 net orders for April (7,600 units) declined month-on-month and year-on-year.
ACT Research President & Senior Analyst Ken Vieth, said: “Between the end of the industry’s annual ‘order season’ and the uncertainty surrounding the impact of US economic policy that peaked at the start of the month on ‘Liberation Day,’ April delivered the weakest cumulative MD and HD order tally since the beginning of the pandemic when markets were comparably unsettled.”
“When released by ACT mid-month, NA Classes 5-8 net orders are expected at 19,200 units, the lowest volume since May 2020.”
The story was the same for MD Classes 5-7 vehicles, experiencing a deflating trend, Vieth said.
“ACT’s preliminary look at April NA Classes 5-7 orders puts the month’s volume at 11,600 orders, down 41 per cent from last April’s level,” said Vieth.
ACT Research’s “State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8″ report found that the final net orders for Class 8 vehicles across North America in March 2025 were down 5.9 per cent year over year, totalling 16,500 units.
ACT Research’s Research Analyst Carter Vieth said: “While uncertainty and a weak seasonal period have made parsing the tea leaves more challenging, cancellations at a 20-month high may indicate customers are pulling back on orders given the increasingly pessimistic outlook.”
“Tractor orders of 12.2k units this month were essentially flat year over year, up 0.9 per cent. Vocational truck orders decreased 21 per cent year over year, totalling 4.2k units.”
Meanwhile total Classes 5-7 orders decreased 33 per cent year over year to 18,600 units for that period.
“MD orders have slowed through the past four months, as current bloated inventories and a weaker economic outlook weigh on new orders,” said Vieth.
ACT Research’s “State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8″ report provides a monthly look at the current production, sales, and general state of the on-road heavy and medium duty commercial vehicle markets in North America.
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