August net orders of heavy-duty Class 8 commercial vehicles were up 15 percent from August of 2009, according to ACT Research.
ACT, which publishes commercial vehicle industry data and analysis, reports that for the three months ended August 31, net orders of Class 8 vehicles totaled 40,033, an increase of 42 percent over the same three months of 2009.

"The summer months tend to be seasonally low order months for Class 8 vehicles, but this summer has seen a stabilization of orders at a more material rate compared to the trough of 2009," said Steve Tam, vice president-commercial vehicle sector. "Net orders were especially strong for the Mexico market, likely due to increased manufacturing and trade. It is possible Mexico is benefiting from some 're-shoring' of manufacturing that previously occurred overseas," he added.

Medium-duty Classes 5-7 net orders increased by 27 percent in August compared to the prior year. Classes 6-7 buses were very strong, increasing 159 percent month-over-month from July, similar to a large month-over-month gain in August of 2009. Class 5 truck net orders were also strong, growing at 126 percent year-over-year.