As many as 76% of fleets expect their upcoming heavy-duty truck orders to match what was purchased in 2015, with a few fleets planning an increase, according to the latest quarterly Fleet Sentiment survey conducted by CK Commercial Vehicle Research.

The ordering for 2016 will begin in the fourth quarter of this year and CK expects that the weighted volume average of truck orders will show both quarterly and yearly increases.

Also, 63% of the fleets surveyed said they would match 2015 trailer orders as well. Expected trailer orders should improve quarter to quarter but will fall short of last year’s high order volume.

The one wrench that could be thrown into expected equipment orders is a faltering economy. However, if the economy remains strong, it is likely that truck and trailer orders will match volumes seen in this past year.

“While a majority of the fleets reporting to us saw their business as good or even excellent, any fall-off in freight or work demand will certainly cause them to re-think their 2016 plans,” said Chris Kemmer of CK.

“They have been upgrading their equipment at a pretty high level over the last two to three years," she added, "so I expect they could take a pause in new equipment purchases without taking a significant hit to maintenance costs associated with older vehicles.”