September preliminary North America Class 8 net orders of 20.8k units declined 44% y/y. Complete industry data for September, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-October.
“On a seasonally adjusted basis, Class 8 orders totaled 18,800 units, a 225k SAAR. On a 6-and 12-month basis, orders continue to trend down, at 178k and 235k, respectively,” shared Carter Vieth, Research Analyst at ACT Research. “The longest for-hire downturn in history continues to weigh on tractor demand as freight rates continue to run below inflation levels. And even as more tariffs are imposed, the nation awaits a verdict on IEEPA tariffs in a case the Supreme Court will hear in early November. On top of tariffs, the industry awaits the announcement from the EPA on the future of low-NOx regulation. Quite the Q3 for the industry, and a challenging start to the opening of 2026 orderboards.”
Regarding medium duty, he added, “Preliminary September NA Classes 5-7 orders fell 22% y/y to 15,500 units. Increased consumer pessimism, slowing services growth, and economic uncertainty continue to weigh on Classes 5-7 orders. On a seasonally adjusted basis, Classes 5-7 orders decreased 2.9% m/m to 14,400 units, a 173k SAAR. On a 6- and 12-month basis, orders continue to trend lower, at 174k and 182k, respectively.”
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
Final North American Class 8 net orders totaled 12,844 units in August, down 21% y/y, as published in ACT Research’s latest State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 report.
“August marks the eighth consecutive month of y/y Class 8 order declines,” according to Carter Vieth, Research Analyst at ACT Research. “Even with the caveat that August is a seasonally weak order month, just ahead of next year’s orderboards opening, this month’s tractor orders of 7,493 units, down 34% y/y, were notably weak, but in line with the trend since April. Current tariff and regulatory purgatory continue to sow industry uncertainty.”
“Vocational Class 8 orders totaled 5,351 units, up 7.8% y/y, but on easy y/y comps, as last August was the weakest month for vocational orders in 2024. On a ytd basis, vocational orders were down 20% in 2025 compared to 2024. Vocational, like the tractor market, continues to be hampered in the short-to-medium term by policy fluctuations related to tariffs, federal funds, and regulations. Also, softness in end markets like housing are not helpful,” he continued.
Regarding medium duty, Vieth added, “Total Classes 5-7 orders fell 24% y/y to 14,613 units. MD orders have slowed notably this year, as still elevated inventories, a weaker economic outlook, and notable increased consumer pessimism weigh on MD demand.”
Class 8:
Net Orders: 12.8k, -21% y/y
Classes 5-7:
Net Orders: 14.6k, -24% y/y
Click here to learn more information about ACT's State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 Vehicles data.
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