About ACT Research

40 years of helping the industry see the road ahead

ACT Research was founded with a simple purpose: bring clarity to complex transportation markets.

Since the mid-1980s, ACT has helped customers navigate major shifts across trucking, freight, and commercial vehicles — from deregulation and OEM consolidation to freight-cycle disruption, emissions regulation, supply-chain shocks, powertrain change, and the evolving economics of transportation.

Our tools have changed. The market has changed. But ACT’s purpose remains the same: help customers understand the signals shaping tomorrow’s market so they can make better decisions today.

The Founding Years: 1986–1989

ACT Research began during a period of significant change in the North American trucking and commercial vehicle markets. In the wake of deregulation and industry restructuring, Ken Vieth saw the need for clearer, more transparent commercial vehicle market data.

ACT was built to help industry participants understand market conditions, evaluate demand, and make better decisions with better information. The first ACT seminar in 1989 created a forum for industry dialogue that continues today.

Growth & Grit: The 1990s
The 1990s ushered in OEM consolidation and intermodal growth, with Freightliner aggressively acquiring share under Jim Hebe. ACT mirrored the industry’s expansion: Kenny Vieth, Ken’s son, joined the company in 1991, and the office expanded from a closet to converted outbuildings on Ken’s farm, like the chicken coop and blacksmith shop. Eric Starks joined in the mid-90s, and by 1998, Joyce Wire came aboard, helping bring greater operational sophistication. By decade’s end, ACT’s seminars were gaining attention and attendance, mirroring the firm’s rising influence.

Digital Leap & Product Expansion: The 2000s
The 2000s saw the emergence of ACT as a digital-forward firm. Steve Tam joined in 2000, and Dan Lucas became ACT’s first remote economist. Transitioning from manual fax distributions to email and PDFs, ACT modernized delivery and broadened reach. New product lines emerged, including one of the industry’s first used truck market datasets. ACT’s accurate forecasts around the EPA 2007 emissions prebuy highlighted its growing authority in commercial vehicle forecasting. After 20 years, ACT Research and FTR ended their partnership in 2008.

Consolidation & Specialization: The 2010s
Throughout the 2010s, ACT expanded its specialization, integrating more granular forecasting tools and increasing seminar participation. The company enhanced its staffing, digital infrastructure, and content sophistication. As customer expectations for forward-looking insights grew, ACT stayed ahead with its signature mix of data integrity and economic acumen as Jennifer McNealy, Debby Steinbarger, Frank Maly, Sam Kahan, Jim Meil, and Tim Denoyer all joined the team during this period.

Market Leadership & Innovation: The 2020s
Today, ACT Research is widely recognized as the industry’s trusted source for commercial vehicle market forecasting. From pioneering remote work in the early 2000s to offering real-time, digitally delivered insights, ACT continues to lead with innovation that includes rate forecast across on-highway sectors, alternative powertrain and autonomous market deep dives, used truck price forecasting, and coverage of the Mexico trailer market. Its freight and used truck data products have emerged as industry benchmarks, while its seminars attract a diverse set of OEMs, suppliers, fleets, financial professionals, and other industry players. As ACT’s influence expanded, so too did its team, with the addition of Carter Vieth, Ann Rundle, Lydia Vieth, Colleen Weaver, Margie Dasovich, Amanda Williams, Bailey Schnur, Josh Robinson, and Kiley Broad – brining fresh insights and talent to fuel the company’s continued growth. The legacy that began with one man’s vision, a converted closet, and a fax machine now supports and informs decision-making across North America’s transportation economy.

Trusted by customers, partners, and leading market institutions

Finger On The Pulse

ACT Research maintains deep industry relationships that help strengthen its view of commercial vehicle, freight, equipment, and transportation markets.

Through direct data relationships, strategic partnerships, and contributions to leading economic and industry forecasting resources, ACT provides customers with market perspective on benchmarks, market share, short- and long-term planning, capacity, demand, and cycle movement.

ACT’s analytical services are used by major North American truck and trailer manufacturers and suppliers, as well as fleets, dealers, rental and leasing firms, new market entrants, infrastructure providers, finance companies, banks, and investment firms.

Our team includes commercial vehicle and transportation experts, award-winning economists, analysts, and researchers committed to data quality, integrity, depth of analysis, and timeliness.

• DAT Freight & Analytics
• Cass Information Systems
• Global Data
• Escalent
• Blue Chip Economic Indicators
• IANA