https://www.actresearch.net ACT Research is the leader in market data, industry analysis, and forecasting for the commercial vehicle and transportation markets. We provide a strategic view to help businesses plan for tomorrow. en-us https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/us-classes3-8-used-trucks-blog Tue, 29 Sep 2026 13:30:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/us-classes3-8-used-trucks-blog Classes 3-8 Used Trucks report by ACT Research, same dealer used Class 8 retail truck sales declined 24% month-over-month in August, counter to the typical seasonal increase, while the average retail sale price increased 2.2% to $64,367. With new truck sales also running below last year’s pace,…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/us-classes3-8-used-trucks-blog https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-for-2026 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:27:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-for-2026 Trucking Industry 2026 Outlook September 2026 Updated September 28, 2026 Trucking Industry Forecast 2026: Demand Broadens While Capacity Remains Tight The trucking industry enters September 2026 with a more constructive freight outlook and growing differences across equipment markets. ACT’s…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-for-2026 https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/what-are-freight-rates Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:24:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/what-are-freight-rates Shippers also need to understand why rates are changing, where capacity conditions may be headed, and what those changes could mean for transportation budgets, carrier contracts, routing guides, and service reliability. At the broadest level, freight rates are determined by supply and demand. When…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/what-are-freight-rates https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-for-2028 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:23:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-for-2028 Trucking Industry 2028 Outlook September 2026 Updated September 28, 2026 Trucking Industry Forecast 2028: How the Capacity Response Could Change the Cycle The trucking industry forecast for 2028 centers on how the market responds to today’s stronger freight rates and constrained capacity. ACT’s…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-for-2028 https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-for-2027 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:23:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-for-2027 Trucking Industry 2027 Outlook September 2026 Updated September 28, 2026 Trucking Industry Forecast 2027: Better Demand Signals Meet a Limited Capacity Response The trucking industry forecast for 2027 remains supported by constrained capacity, improving freight economics, and a broader contribution…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-for-2027 https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/freight-volume Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:20:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/freight-volume Freight volume refers to the amount of goods, import and export, moving through the transportation industry. When demand grows faster than capacity and the supply of drivers or tractors is short, the pendulum swings to the fleets and freight rates rise. When supply growth outpaces demand growth,…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/freight-volume https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2028 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:12:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2028 Class 8 Truck Market: 2027 Outlook September 2026 Updated September 28, 2026 Class 8 Sales Forecast 2028: Tractor Demand and Vocational Inventories Follow Different Paths The Class 8 truck sales forecast for 2028 requires separate views of tractors and vocational trucks. A total Class 8 figure can…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2028 https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2027 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:12:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2027 Class 8 Truck Market: 2027 Outlook September 2026 Updated September 28, 2026 Class 8 Sales Forecast 2027: Tractor Replacement and Production Execution The Class 8 truck sales outlook for 2027 remains supported by improving tractor economics, aging equipment, and replacement requirements. ACT’s…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2027 https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2026 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:09:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2026 2026 Class 8 Truck Market September 2026 Updated September 28, 2026 Class 8 Sales Forecast 2026: Tractor Sales Improve as Production Ramps The Class 8 truck market enters September 2026 with improving tractor sales, elevated backlogs, and a production response that requires careful interpretation.…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2026 https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/relationship-building-class-8-tractors-u-s-fleet-size Mon, 28 Sep 2026 08:45:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/relationship-building-class-8-tractors-u-s-fleet-size Freight Capacity Forecasting: How Fleet Size and Utilization Shape Trucking Rates Freight capacity is the transportation supply available to move a shipment. It depends on more than the number of trucks in a fleet: equipment suitability, drivers, utilization, location, and operating economics all…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/relationship-building-class-8-tractors-u-s-fleet-size https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-build-sales-data Mon, 28 Sep 2026 08:34:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-build-sales-data Class 8 build data measure truck production, while Class 8 retail sales data measure trucks sold to end users. Equipment sales can also increase without an equivalent expansion in the number of trucks available to haul freight. What Is the Difference Between Class 8 Build and Sales Data? Retail…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-build-sales-data https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/freight-forecast-blog-shippers Mon, 28 Sep 2026 08:30:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/freight-forecast-blog-shippers Freight forecasting helps shippers estimate how transportation rates, shipment demand, and available capacity may change. Higher truck sales may signal equipment investment without adding equivalent freight capacity. A useful forecast connects those market signals to the decisions a transportation…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/freight-forecast-blog-shippers https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/north-america-class-8-blog Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:40:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/north-america-class-8-blog Final North American Class 8 net orders totaled 16,951 units in August, up 32% year-over-year but down 34% month-over-month on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to ACT Research’s latest State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 report. It differentiates market indicators by Class 5, Classes 6-7…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/north-america-class-8-blog https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/state-of-industry-u.s.-trailers-blog Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:15:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/state-of-industry-u.s.-trailers-blog Preliminary net trailer orders in August were 24,200 units, up about 8,600 units from July, a 55% month-to-month increase, and more than 16,000 units higher than August 2025. Final August trailer industry data will be available later this month. With freight rates and carrier profits on the mend,…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/state-of-industry-u.s.-trailers-blog https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/freight-forecast-blog Tue, 15 Sep 2026 16:00:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/freight-forecast-blog freight market, according to the latest release of ACT’s Freight Forecast: Rate and Volume OUTLOOK report for September 2026. “With contract rates now offering a significant cost advantage over private fleets and ongoing regulatory changes ahead, we expect the ‘stronger for longer’ for-hire rate…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/freight-forecast-blog https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/northamerica-commercialvehicle-forecast-blog Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:00:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/northamerica-commercialvehicle-forecast-blog With actual economic activity and freight market metrics generally in line with expectations, ACT Research’s latest North American Commercial Vehicle OUTLOOK leaves both the Classes 5-7 and Class 8 forecasts unchanged in September, while the trailer forecast was reduced incrementally on perceived…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/northamerica-commercialvehicle-forecast-blog https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/driver-availability-is-reshaping-freight-capacity Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:00:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/driver-availability-is-reshaping-freight-capacity It is increasingly a question of how much qualified, compliant, and economically sustainable capacity is available to move the freight already in the market. Hunt references the ACT For-Hire Trucking Index and reproduces ACT’s Driver Availability Index covering January 2019 through June 2026. It…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/driver-availability-is-reshaping-freight-capacity https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/act-research-marks-40-years-and-75-market-vitals-seminars-with-industry-leaders-focused-on-the-next-commercial-vehicle-and-freight-cycle Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:30:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/act-research-marks-40-years-and-75-market-vitals-seminars-with-industry-leaders-focused-on-the-next-commercial-vehicle-and-freight-cycle Topics that were explored included economic growth, freight market supply-demand balance, commercial vehicle demand, the upcoming emissions regulation, used-equipment values, autonomous trucking, and the changing needs of fleets and dealers. “The market is improving, but the path forward will be…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/act-research-marks-40-years-and-75-market-vitals-seminars-with-industry-leaders-focused-on-the-next-commercial-vehicle-and-freight-cycle https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/act-research-market-vitals-seminar-74-cautious-optimism-amid-transition Wed, 11 Mar 2026 08:27:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/act-research-market-vitals-seminar-74-cautious-optimism-amid-transition ACT Research recently hosted its 74th Market Vitals: The Current & Future Health of the Industry Seminar on February 18–19 in Columbus, IN, marking a special milestone, 40 years of delivering commercial vehicle and freight market intelligence to the industry. As discussions unfolded, one theme…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/act-research-market-vitals-seminar-74-cautious-optimism-amid-transition https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2025 Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:27:00 -0500 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2025 Class 8 Truck Market: 2025 in Review Year-End Summary | January 2026 Executive Takeaway The Class 8 truck market exits 2025 after one of the most prolonged and challenging downcycles in modern industry history. What began as a post-pandemic normalization evolved into a year defined by weak freight…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2025 https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-2025 Mon, 26 Jan 2026 13:51:00 -0500 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-2025 What began as a post-pandemic normalization evolved into a prolonged period of weak freight demand, elevated operating costs, tariff-driven uncertainty, and sustained margin compression. At the same time, 2025 marked an important turning point beneath the surface: structural capacity contraction is…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-2025 https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/40-years Wed, 17 Dec 2025 10:54:00 -0500 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/40-years For four decades, ACT Research has been the industry’s trusted source for economic insight and commercial vehicle forecasting. ACT Research History - 40 Years of Helping the Industry See the Road Ahead Since our founding in 1985, ACT Research has had one guiding mission: to bring clarity to a…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/40-years https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/road-to-autonomy-whats-changed-since-2022 Fri, 21 Nov 2025 10:03:00 -0500 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/road-to-autonomy-whats-changed-since-2022 A number of significant developments have taken place over the past three years since ACT Research published our inaugural study on autonomy for commercial vehicles: “ Driving Automation – Commercial Transportation’s Pursuit of Level 4 Autonomy ”. One Interesting Insight About The Autonomous…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/road-to-autonomy-whats-changed-since-2022 https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/act-research-market-vitals-seminar-73-challenges-costs-and-change Tue, 26 Aug 2025 11:21:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/act-research-market-vitals-seminar-73-challenges-costs-and-change The seminar spotlighted ongoing market headwinds, labor concerns, and truck supply cycles. Ken Vieth, President & Senior Analyst, and Jim Meil, Principal, Industry Analysis of ACT Research, sat down to chat about what we heard at Market Vitals Seminar 73. ACT Research will continue providing…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/act-research-market-vitals-seminar-73-challenges-costs-and-change https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/fireside-chat-ten-x-act-research Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:20:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/fireside-chat-ten-x-act-research The conversation covers: Current Trailer Market Snapshot Tariff “Whiplash” and Business Decisions Reefer Market Pressures Consumer Trends and Stability in the Reefer Segment Tariff Timeline to Watch Market Crosscurrents: Challenges & Opportunities While uncertainty around tariffs, interest rates,…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/fireside-chat-ten-x-act-research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/northamerica-commercialvehicle-decarb-forecast-blog Wed, 23 Apr 2025 08:30:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/northamerica-commercialvehicle-decarb-forecast-blog ACT Research’s recently released decarbonization forecast, North America Commercial Vehicle OUTLOOK Plus , incorporates expected advancements in zero-emission technologies of battery-electric vehicles (BEV), fuel cell-electric vehicles (FCEV), and natural gas (NG) as an alternative decarbonization…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/northamerica-commercialvehicle-decarb-forecast-blog https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/act-research-seminar-72-a-look-back-and-the-road-ahead Tue, 25 Mar 2025 10:13:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/act-research-seminar-72-a-look-back-and-the-road-ahead Now that we're three weeks removed from ACT Research’s Market Vitals Seminar 72, we have a clearer perspective on the key insights shared and how market conditions are unfolding. At the seminar, panelists expressed cautious optimism for a freight market recovery in the second half of 2025. Quote…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/act-research-seminar-72-a-look-back-and-the-road-ahead https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-2024 Tue, 14 Jan 2025 10:30:00 -0500 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-2024 As we enter the final quarter of 2024, the North American trucking industry continues to navigate economic shifts and market adjustments. Trucking Industry Trends – 2024 Year in Review Economic Overview: The U.S. Freight and Transportation: Freight demand displayed modest resilience in 2024, with…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-2024 https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2024-2 Tue, 14 Jan 2025 09:30:00 -0500 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2024-2 2024 Class 8 Truck Market Year in Review The Class 8 market closed 2024 with a notable performance, reflecting both resilience and strategic adjustments within the industry. The year-end total is projected to reach approximately 324,700 units, an increase from 2023’s total of 315,952 units, driven…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2024-2 https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucks-orders-2025 Wed, 18 Sep 2024 10:30:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucks-orders-2025 After attending ACT Research's Market Vitals: The Current and Future Health of the Market Seminar 71 on August 21-22, 2024, Brett Lankford from Fetch Freight and Tim Denoyer from ACT Research reflected on the Class 8 market, the role that private fleets have played in the out-of-cycle order…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucks-orders-2025 https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/supply-visibility Tue, 05 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0500 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/supply-visibility After attending ACT Research's Market Vitals: The Current and Future Health of the Market Seminar 70 on February 21-22, David Spencer from Arrive Logistics and Tim Denoyer from ACT Research reflected on the current freight market and what the trucking industry can expect over the next six months…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/supply-visibility https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-2023 Fri, 03 Nov 2023 10:00:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-2023 Trucking Industry Forecast: 2023 Year in Review 2023 was a transitional year for the trucking industry, with several key developments shaping the market: Freight Market Stabilization : After a turbulent start, freight volumes began stabilizing in Q3, driven by gradual improvements in consumer…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/trucking-industry-forecast-2023 https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/alternative-to-diesel-h2-ice Mon, 23 Oct 2023 09:50:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/alternative-to-diesel-h2-ice Where do we get the hydrogen fuel? Part 3 of this series concentrates on what fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) alternatives have to offer. The fuel tanks may be different, but overall, the vehicle is pretty much the same. The zero-emissions path will have fuel cells, hydrogen tanks, electric…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/alternative-to-diesel-h2-ice https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2023 Thu, 05 Oct 2023 11:00:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2023 Class 8 Truck Market: 2023 Year in Review 2023 was a dynamic year for Class 8 truck sales, building off a strong base of 309,615 units sold in 2022.. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/class-8-truck-sales-forecast-2023 https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/market-updates Sun, 17 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/market-updates along with Steve Tam from ACT Research reflected on economics, the development of clean technology, the dealer market, pent-up demand + prebuy, and the used and medium-duty sectors. Scroll down to view the full conversation between Kirk and Steve. Clean Technology Development “It was so refreshing…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/market-updates https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/charging-forward-blog Tue, 12 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/charging-forward-blog Rundle concluded, “By 2040 we are forecasting that adoption of ZEVs will account for just slightly above 50%—essentially half of all CVs will be zero emissions, primarily BEVs.” CHARGING FORWARD is an economic-driven, bottoms-up analysis of the North American battery and fuel cell electric vehicle…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/charging-forward-blog https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/alternative-fuels-quarterly-blog Thu, 20 Apr 2023 08:30:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/alternative-fuels-quarterly-blog Sales of natural gas-powered vehicles were mixed in the December to February timeframe, according to the latest Alternative Fuels Quarterly by ACT Research. Through the first two months of 2023, reporting OEMs have sold 403 NG-powered Class 8 units.” Alternative Fuels Quarterly Report Overview The…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/alternative-fuels-quarterly-blog https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/the-hype-and-the-reality-are-coming-together-ntea-work-truck-show-recap Wed, 12 Apr 2023 16:07:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/the-hype-and-the-reality-are-coming-together-ntea-work-truck-show-recap From alternative fuel vehicles to telematics and safety technologies, there was something for everyone at this event; with product announcements and customer conversations, Work Truck Week gave these two industry experts a chance to identify the challenges and opportunities from manufacturers,…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/the-hype-and-the-reality-are-coming-together-ntea-work-truck-show-recap https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/na-on-highway-engine-forecast-blog Tue, 04 Apr 2023 16:03:00 -0400 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/na-on-highway-engine-forecast-blog But instead of being centered in 1H’23, our current thinking aligns downturn timing with the game of chicken being played in DC around the debt-ceiling and US credit worthiness.” The NA on-highway engine forecast , published by ACT Research and Escelant [ Rhein Associates ], highlights power-source…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/na-on-highway-engine-forecast-blog https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/transportation-transparency Sun, 19 Feb 2023 10:57:00 -0500 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/transportation-transparency Freight rates and volumes are directly impacted by supply and demand. Today, we're still seeing signs of "stronger for longer" rates that favor carriers, all because the supply chain issues are impacting the production of new Class 8 tractors. The current market, while exaggerated, is a microcosm…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/transportation-transparency https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/truckload-cycle-demand-drivers-of-freight Sun, 19 Feb 2023 10:49:00 -0500 ACT Research https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/truckload-cycle-demand-drivers-of-freight The historical truckload cycle gives insights into the current truckload environment and what to anticipate as we measure the demand and supply of the freight market. If we start in a loose to roughly balanced supply-demand environment, the cycle begins with freight growth leading to tightening…. Read the full post at https://www.actresearch.net/resources/blog/truckload-cycle-demand-drivers-of-freight