Preliminary reports show net trailer orders continued to soar in November, with 39,000 units projected to have been booked during the month, according to ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers. Final November results will be available later this month.
“We expected net orders to slow in November, after October’s net order explosion. Despite November’s strong order intake, they fell 17% (-27% SA m/m) from October’s 48,000-unit order haul. While down from October, orders were up 22% compared to the same month last year,” said Jennifer McNealy, director CV market research and publications at ACT Research. “Nearly as soon as a build slot is available, there is a fleet ready to fill it with an order.”
Demand remains strong, she noted. With backlog-to-build ratios near the 7.5-month mark, on average, fleets needing trailers are “staying the course.”
“Using preliminary November orders and the corresponding OEM build plans, the trailer backlog should increase by around 13,500 units when complete November data are released,” McNealy concluded. “That said, with orders being preliminary and the build numbers projections, there will be some variability in reported backlogs when final data are collected.”
ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report provides a monthly review of the current US trailer market statistics, as well as trailer OEM build plans and market indicators divided by all major trailer types, including backlogs, build, inventory, new orders, cancellations, net orders, and factory shipments.