After suffering a weak March, net trailer orders jumped 29% month over month in April, stronger than predicted by seasonality. However, year to date, net orders lag by 10% compared to 2012.

This update on industry performance was reported in the latest State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers published by ACT Research Co.

“The order activity seen in April is normally expected in March; the commitment delay is an indication of the overarching caution regarding investment commitments by the fleets,” said Frank Maly, director-CV Transportation with ACT Research.

“Concerns over a sluggish economy, lackluster fleet profitability, and credit availability have been the major factors impacting trailer order timing the past few months. Additionally, the pullback in energy investment has specifically impeded the specialty trailer segment,” he adds.