FTR's forecast for the 2014 U.S. Trailer is 240,000 units, a 2.2% increase over 2013.  FTR expects dry vans to show a 2% year-over-year increase while reefer vans will remain flat. Flatbeds, dumps and low beds are all expected to show greater increases as construction and manufacturing improve.

"New trailer orders have been stronger recently so we expect trailer build to begin growing again after slumping the second half of last year.  Tractor orders have also been very strong recently, indicating fleets are ready to invest in more new equipment in 2014," says Don Ake, vice president, commercial vehicles with FTR.

"We see the economy growing more steadily this year, leading to more consistent freight growth," Ake continues. "Because of this, we do not expect trailer demand to drop off in the second-half of the year as it did in 2013.  Therefore we are forecasting a good year for trailers, but not much of an increase over last year."

FTR has released their 2014 forecast for the U.S. Trailer Market segmented by trailer type. FTR, for the first time, presents their quarterly trailer forecast individually for dry van, reefer van, flatbed, liquid tank, dry tank, dump, low bed and “other” trailer types.