Although underlying fundamentals are healthy, weakness at the front end of the demand cycle for Class 8 trucks persisted into August, according to the State of the Industry report released by ACT Research Co. (ACT).
“Class 8 orders are likely to continue in hand-to-mouth fashion until there is better clarity about the domestic fiscal policy,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT. “That means that orders will remain soft at least through October, leaving little opportunity for a production rebound into early 2013.”
Vieth added that because underlying fundamentals are healthy, as the near-term outlook becomes less opaque, national confidence will improve. This will set the stage for a rebound in commercial vehicle demand.