ACT research: Conditions favorable in Q3 for commercial vehicle demand

Class 8 orders continued in above-expectations mode in August. Total net orders were 25,363 units. Classes 5-7 net orders rose to a four-month high of 18,012. These results were published in the latest State of the Industry report, recently released by ACT Research Co. (ACT). The report covers Classes 5 through 8 vehicles for the North American market.

“Through the middle of the third quarter, conditions remained favorable for continued healthy commercial vehicle demand,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s President and Senior Analyst. “Following one of the best order months cycle-to-date, August’s Class 8 orders were 16 percent below July, but were up 30 percent compared to last year. Through year-to-date August, Class 8 orders have been booked at a 336,600 unit annual rate.

Concerning Classes 5-7 net orders, Vieth said that compared to August 2013, truck orders were up 15 percent and RVs were up 8 percent, while buses were down 20 percent. “Orders and backlogs are trending sideways, and production has remained fairly steady,” he said.

ACT is the leading publisher of new and used commercial vehicle (CV) industry data, market analysis and forecasting services for the North American market, as well as the U.S. tractor-trailer market and the China CV market. ACT’s CV services are used by all major North American truck and trailer manufacturers and their suppliers, and worldwide banking and investment companies.