Class 8 truck orders are expected to increase in July compared to the previous month and previous year, according to preliminary numbers from ACT Research and FTR.

Truck orders are expected to increase by 5% over June’s number and by 79% compared to July 2016, according to FTR.

Orders have increased for the second month in a row and the market is stable but moving in a positive direction, said FTR.

Total Class 8 orders in the past year have totaled 224,000 units. A positive freight environment has tightened capacity and the equipment orders are starting to reflect this change, according to FTR.

“This is a great sign to see orders rising, even slightly, in mid-summer,” said Don Ake, vice president of commercial vehicles at FTR. “This is the beginning of a positive trend that we expect to continue the rest of this year, right into 2018.  The Class 8 market is starting to move upward and orders are forecasted to accelerate in the fall.”

Medium-duty Class 5-7 truck orders have not fared as well, dropping in July to a 13-month low after averaging more than 22,100 units per month for seven months straight, according to ACT Research. However, July orders were still slightly better than in the same month a year ago.