August Class 8 truck net orders came in at 12,337 units for all major North American OEMs, close to July figures and the monthly average seen over the last six months of 13,000 units

, according to FTR Associates.

August orders were up 8.3 percent from July and 16.8 percent higher than August 2009 levels. The figure includes U.S., Canada, Mexico and exports.

"August net orders for Class 8 vehicles came in about where we expected, very similar to July numbers," said Eric Starks, president of FTR. "We didn't see any particular reason that they would be substantially different, and we believe for the balance of the year orders will continue to be received at comparable levels. Going forward, a critical point to watch is order activity in October and November which typically sees a seasonal spike in activity. These months will set the stage for demand in 2011."

Final data for August will be available from FTR later in the month. FTR Associates, located in Nashville, Ind., has provided transportation forecasting for over 20 years.