Dealers Already Ordering Class 8 Trucks for 2019

Class 8 truck orders surpassed totaled 52,629 units in July in what is typically the weakest order month of the year, according to ACT Research.

This marks the fifth time in seven months that truck orders topped 40,000 units, and it is part of a two-month order surge. With equipment build delays extending the time between ordering and receiving equipment, dealers are already booking build slots for 2019.

“It is worth noting that as lead times extend, orders are inherently more speculative,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research. “In the meantime, the industry continues to finish units that were not completed in Q2 owing to various parts shortages, with July’s build rising to 31,039 units.”

Medium-duty truck production was up as well, beating build plans for the sixth straight month at 22,160 units. The expected full-year medium-duty vehicle build is now projected at 270,500 units, according to Vieth.