ACT Research said Class 8 vehicle orders in April stayed above 20,000 units for a seventh consecutive month. This total is the second highest volume of orders in 16 months, ACT stated.

April Class 8 net orders totaled more than 23,200 units, and medium-duty net orders totaled 16,740 units, which is the best order volume in six months and the second best in the past 26 months.

Class 8 orders year-to-date headed for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico continue to trend higher than order levels from a year ago. Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst, said demand from Mexico is particularly strong and that Class 8 cancellations remained at record low levels in April.

“As has been the case this cycle, backlogs for the medium-duty market remain thin relative to build,” said Vieth. “Per-day build hit its second highest level in a year in April.”