Final North American Class 8 net orders totaled 24,675 units in April, down 24% m/m, as published in ACT Research’s latest State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 report.
“April signifies the beginning of lower order seasonality until 2027 orderboards open in September,” according to Carter Vieth, Research Analyst at ACT Research. “Due to last April’s ‘Liberation Day’ impacting orders, y/y comparisons this month are arguably uninformative, with m/m comparisons the better metric this month. Tractor orders totaled 16,807 units, down 21% m/m on seasonality. The surge in orders the past six months boils down to improved spot and contract rates and regulatory clarity. Vocational Class 8 orders totaled 7,868 units, down 29% m/m, but given seasonality and last month’s historically strong order month, the pull back from March levels is unsurprising.”
Regarding medium duty, Vieth added, “Total Classes 5-7 orders rose 29% y/y to 16,801 units (17.5k SA), partially on easy comps, but perhaps also reflecting continued consumer resilience despite the war, as well as some regulatory-driven dealer inventory stocking.”
State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 Report Overview
ACT’s State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 report provides a monthly look at the current production, sales, and general state of the on-road heavy and medium duty commercial vehicle markets in North America. It differentiates market indicators by Class 5, Classes 6-7 chassis and Class 8 trucks and tractors, detailing measures such as backlog, build, inventory, new orders, cancellations, net orders, and retail sales. Additionally, Class 5 and Classes 6-7 are segmented by trucks, buses, RVs, and step van configurations, while Class 8 is segmented by trucks and tractors with and without sleeper cabs. This report includes a six-month industry build plan, backlog timing analysis, historical data from 1996 to the present in spreadsheet format, and a ready-to-use graph package. A first-look at preliminary net orders is also published in conjunction with this report.
ACT Research Overview
ACT Research is recognized as the leading publisher of commercial vehicle truck, trailer, and bus industry data, market analysis and forecasts for the North America and China markets. ACT’s analytical services are used by all major North American truck and trailer manufacturers and their suppliers, as well as banking and investment companies. ACT Research is a contributor to the Blue Chip Economic Indicators and a member of the Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Panel. ACT Research executives have received peer recognition, including election to the Board of Directors of the National Association for Business Economics, appointment as Consulting Economist to the National Private Truck Council, and the Lawrence R. Klein Award for Blue Chip Economic Indicators’ Most Accurate Economic Forecast over a four-year period. ACT Research senior staff members have earned accolades including Chicago Federal Reserve Automotive Outlook Symposium Best Overall Forecast, Wall Street Journal Top Economic Outlook, and USA Today Top 10 Economic Forecasters. More information can be found at www.actresearch.net.
Additional Resources
April preliminary North America Class 8 net orders of 24.8k units increased 201% y/y. Complete industry data for April, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-May.
“With April signifying the beginning of weak order seasonality until 2027 orderboards open in September, it’s little surprise that preliminary April Class 8 order activity fell from March levels,” shared Carter Vieth, Research Analyst at ACT Research. “Seasonally adjusted, Class 8 orders declined 24% m/m.”
Regarding medium duty, he added, “Preliminary Classes 5-7 orders rose 26% y/y to 16,400 units in April, and like Class 8 orders, the positive y/y differential is due to easy ‘Liberation Day’ comps. Concerns about the K-shaped economy will impact medium duty more than heavy duty, as less wealthy households cut back on the services supported by MD trucks.”
Class 8:
Net Orders: 24,675
Classes 5-7:
Net Orders: 16,801
Click here to learn more information about ACT's State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 Vehicles data.
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