New Class 8 truck sales haven’t hit their stride

February 4, 2022

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New orders of Class 8 tractor-trailers in January still seem hampered, according to preliminary data from analytical data firm ACT Research.

Preliminary net orders in January for North American Class 8 trucks were 21,300 units.

Net North American orders for Classes 5-7 in January dropped to 16,500 units.

In January 2021, there were 42,307 orders for Class 8 trucks and 26,403 orders for Class 5-7 trucks, Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst, told Land Line.

“Constrained production capabilities and long backlogs continue to hamper new order activity. Order weakness continues to be primarily, if not entirely, due to supply-side shortages that continue to restrict production,” Vieth said in a news release.

With critical economic and industry demand drivers at or near record levels, as has been the case for months, Vieth said industry strength should be measured by long backlog lead times, rather than tepid new order activity.

“For Class 8, with backlogs stretching through 2022 and still no clear visibility on the easing of the everything shortage, January’s net order haul reflects the ongoing conservative approach by (original equipment manufacturers) looking to limit the risk of overbooking and underbuilding that plagued the industry in 2021,” Vieth said in the news release.

In these atypical, supply-constrained times, softer orders in recent months may not be the best way to gauge industry health, Veith told Land Line. He provided December figures from 2020 and 2021 for comparison.

December 2020

178,000 Class 8 trucks
77,500 Class 5-7 trucks

December 2021

260,900 Class 8 trucks
149,600 Class 5-7 trucks

ACT Research, based in Columbus, Ind., has provided market data, industry analysis, and forecasts for the commercial vehicle and transportation markets since 1986.

The research firm said it expected to have final order numbers in mid-February.

ACT offers more comprehensive data in its monthly State of the Industry: Classes 5-8 Vehicles report. That report covers current production, sales, and general state of the on-road heavy -and medium-duty commercial vehicle markets in North America.

Click here for more information on ACT Research’s reports on Class 5-8 trucks.