Preliminary Net Class 8 Orders "Up Substantially" for October: FTR
FTR Associates has released preliminary data showing October Class 8 truck total net orders for all major North American OEM's increased 17% over September to 27,395 units.
FTR says the Class 8 assembly lines could be humming by the New Year.
FTR Associates has released preliminary data showing October Class 8 truck total net orders for all major North American OEM's increased 17% over September to 27,395 units.
Order figures show a year-over-year increase of 46%, and the third consecutive month of increasing order activity. Orders for the three-month period including August, September and October annualize to 287,500 units.
"The uptick in orders was anticipated and came in at the high end of those expectations. The healthy order activity signals that the sluggish economy is not negatively impacting carriers," says Eric Starks, president of FTR. "October typically is the beginning of the strongest ordering season for trucks with expected delivery in Q1 and Q2 of the following year. The current order activity is a good beginning for Q4 2011 and should solidify early 2012 OEM build plans."
Final data for October will be available from FTR later in the month as part of its North American Commercial Truck & Trailer Outlook service.
More info: www.ftrassociates.com.
More Fleet Management
How Telematics Improves Visibility, Control, and Performance in Refrigerated Fleets
Explore how telematics help refrigerated fleets improve visibility, uptime, efficiency, compliance, and cargo protection across connected cold chain operations.
Read More →
What the U.S.-Canada Trade War Means for Trucking
Escalating U.S.-Canada tariffs could disrupt cross-border freight, reduce truck volumes, raise costs, and create new uncertainty for carriers on both sides of the border.
Read More →
What Are Trucking’s Top Concerns for 2026?
The American Transportation Research Institute wants to know what's worrying trucking fleet managers, drivers, and other stakeholders in its annual Industry Issues survey.
Read More →
American Trucking Associations Looks for a New Leader
ATA President and CEO Chris Spear abruptly left his job at the association on August 21, at a pivotal time for the trucking industry.
Read More →
Public Wi-Fi Cybersecurity Risks: How Truck Drivers and Fleets Can Protect Their Data
Public Wi-Fi can expose truck drivers and fleets to credential theft, malware, and other cyber threats. Here’s how to reduce the risk on the road.
Read More →
For Nicky Cupp, Fleet Innovation Starts With Frustration
HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Nicky Cupp turns everyday pain points at Fraley & Schilling into opportunities for better technology and smarter processes.
Read More →
Adam Buttgenbach’s Approach to Electric Trucks: Start With Where They Fit
HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Adam Buttgenbach helped PepsiCo build one of North America’s largest EV fleets by focusing on where electric trucks make operational sense.
Read More →
Deen Albert: Let Automation Do the Math, People Make the Decisions
HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Deen Albert makes sure people are still at the heart of operations at Grand Island Express, even while adopting artificial intelligence tools. AI-assisted dispatch helped boost revenue 25% with the same number of trucks.
Read More →
Trimble’s New AI Agent Takes Aim at Fleet Back-Office Busywork
Arc Agent works across Trimble TMS products to automate repetitive tasks such as freight orders, maintenance, invoices, fuel costs and more.
Read More →
How HDT’s 2026 Truck Fleet Innovators Are Rethinking Fleet Operations
Meet five trucking leaders who are challenging assumptions, solving operational problems, and putting innovative ideas to work.
Read More →