FTR reported that U.S. trailer orders of 35,300 units in August set a record and outperformed expectations.
This is the second consecutive month of higher-than-anticipated trailer orders, with record August orders 27 percent higher than July and 141 percent higher year-over-year, FTR said, adding that trailer orders for the past 12 months total 370,000 units.
FTR said fleets continue to place their 2019 orders a few months ahead of schedule as most OEMs have opened up their order boards through the second quarter of next year. During August, some large fleets placed substantial orders for dry and refrigerated vans to reserve production slots for next year. Parts and component availability remains tight.
“Orders should remain sturdy for the rest of the year, with continued steady freight growth and tight industry capacity,” said Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial vehicles. “There is strong demand for new trailers, and we expect this to continue well into 2019. It is a good sign that fleets expect a robust year in 2019 and are ordering trailers earlier than normal in anticipation.”
This is the second consecutive month of higher-than-anticipated trailer orders, with record August orders 27 percent higher than July and 141 percent higher year-over-year, FTR said, adding that trailer orders for the past 12 months total 370,000 units.
FTR said fleets continue to place their 2019 orders a few months ahead of schedule as most OEMs have opened up their order boards through the second quarter of next year. During August, some large fleets placed substantial orders for dry and refrigerated vans to reserve production slots for next year. Parts and component availability remains tight.
“Orders should remain sturdy for the rest of the year, with continued steady freight growth and tight industry capacity,” said Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial vehicles. “There is strong demand for new trailers, and we expect this to continue well into 2019. It is a good sign that fleets expect a robust year in 2019 and are ordering trailers earlier than normal in anticipation.”