December preliminary net orders of heavy-duty Class 8 commercial vehicles for North American markets were 25,500 units, according to ACT Research Co.


The December total is an increase of 115 percent compared to December of 2009.

"The industry closed 2010 with a string of three strong months of net orders. With nearly 71,000 orders booked, the fourth quarter was the best quarter for Class 8 vehicles since the second quarter of 2006," said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst. "The ramp-up in demand is consistent with the upcycle we have been forecasting for over a year and confirms production levels will increase significantly in 2011."

Preliminary net order numbers are subject to revision and are typically accurate to within 5 percent plus or minus.