Trailer order activity posted solid improvement in September after lackluster performance in previous months. Net orders were up almost 31% month-over month and 22% year-over-year.
Supported by solid production and inventory reduction, total trailer factory shipments were up nearly 65% year-over-year in September. This update on industry performance was reported in the latest State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers published by ACT Research Co. (ACT) October 21.
"Production is still outpacing new order intake, despite the improvement in orders in September," said Frank Maly, director CV transportation analysis and research with ACT. "This is reducing the backlog. However, we cannot divorce ourselves from seasonality: orders are always weak and backlogs always fall through the third quarter. On a seasonally adjusted basis, total trailer backlogs have been virtually unchanged since May," he added.
For more information on ACT, please visit www.actresearch.net.com.
Commercial Trailer Net Orders Improved in September
Trailer order activity posted solid improvement in September after lackluster performance in previous months. Net orders were up almost 31% month-over month and 22% year-over-year
More Fleet Management

Volvo’s Quiet Confidence Turns into a Full-Throated Bet on the Future
After years of steady, methodical progress, Peter Voorhoeve says the OEM’s latest lineup isn’t just evolutionary. It’s delivering real, measurable gains for fleets right now.
Read More →
BeyondTrucks Targets Rate Complexity with New AI RateAgents
BeyondTrucks says its new RateAgents can turn plain-language rate logic into working code, starting with fuel surcharges — a critical but notoriously complex piece of carrier revenue.
Read More →
Volvo Sees Market ‘Tipping Point’ as New VNL Orders Surge
Soft freight conditions persist, but aging fleets, strong order intake, and new-product momentum signal a more optimistic second half of 2026, Volvo Trucks North America says.
Read More →
Cargo Theft’s New Playbook: Strategic Fraud, Double Brokering, and Cybercrime Hit Trucking
Cargo theft is evolving from regional smash-and-grab operations to sophisticated fraud schemes. Strategic theft now accounts for roughly a third of cargo crime, with incidents rising sharply in recent years. Here’s how the schemes work — and what fleets can do to protect themselves.
Read More →
HDT Honors the Best New Products of 2025 at TMC [Photos]
Heavy Duty Trucking's Top 20 Products awards recognize the best new products and technologies. Check out the award presentations at the 2026 Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting.
Read More →
Detroit Engines: Trusted Performance, Built for What's Next
The Detroit® Gen 6 engine platform proves that real progress doesn’t require a complete redesign. Built on 20 years of trusted technology, these engines are designed for efficiency, stronger performance, and greater reliability than before. And they do it all while complying with 2027 EPA standards on every mile.
Read More →
Q&A: What's Real in Advanced Truck Tech? ACT Expo's Erik Neandross Weighs In
The 2026 ACT Expo is focusing heavily on what organizer Erik Neandross calls trucking's digital frontier. This interview excerpt dives into artificial intelligence, zero-emission vehicles, and tips to make sense of it all.
Read More →
Trucking's Digital Frontier: AI, Connected Vehicles, Alternative Fuels and More
There's an amazing amount of new technology for trucking out there. For fleets, the challenge is figuring out what’s real, what’s hype, and what’s worth investing in.
Read More →
What's Real in Advanced Truck Technology? ACT Expo's Erik Neandross Weighs In
Artificial intelligence, the software-defined vehicle, telematics, autonomous trucks, electric trucks and alternative fuels, and more in this HDT Talks Trucking interview
Read More →
ACT: Trucking Volumes Rise, Capacity Tightens as Fuel Prices Cloud Outlook
ACT Research data shows volumes hitting a four-year high and supply-demand balance strengthening, but higher oil prices are undercutting tariff relief and tempering optimism.
Read More →
