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Jun 25, 2012 3:00 PM

Given  that trailer orders in May have fallen below April volumes in ten of the past  12 years, it wasn’t surprising that there was a decline this May, according to  ACT Research.

That  they fell as far as they did – down 23% month over month on a seasonally  adjusted basis – is a reflection of the current soft patch in commercial  vehicle demand. This update on industry performance was reported in the latest State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers published by ACT Research Co. (ACT).

“Production  rose 5% month over month, although on a per-day basis, build was virtually  unchanged from April,” said Frank Maly, Director-CV Transportation with ACT  Research. “The combination of soft orders and rising production caused industry  backlogs to fall, dropping 5% from April to 111,953 units in May. The backlog  typically falls this time of year, so May’s results were expected. While down  from April, May’s backlog remains at a healthy level.”