Trailer Orders Rebound From July

FTR reports final August net trailer orders rebounded from July to 14,600 units.

August order activity was up 9% month-over-month and 4% year-over-year. All trailer segments had small gains with the exception of flatbed, which fell in August after a strong July.

Orders have now totaled 265,000 units the last 12 months. Backlogs fell another 11% and FTR expects them to bottom out for the year in September. Production per day remained unchanged from July.

“August was another quiet, summer month for trailers,” said Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial vehicles. “Orders remained at the bottom of the cycle as expected. The good news is that build rates remained sturdy for van trailers and the vocational segments also held steady. Backlogs are lower than last year at this time but should start to recover in a couple months.”

He predicted that 2017 will turn out to be “another solid trailer year,” pushed up by growing freight demand and tighter industry capacity.  “Next year is forecasted to be just as strong, and the vocational segments should continue to grow as the industrial economy improves.”