Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Class 8 Truck Demand Stays Strong Through May

May was another strong month for new Class 8 truck orders as fleets work to keep up with increased demand in a tight capacity environment.

June 5, 2018
Class 8 Truck Demand Stays Strong Through May

 

HDT graphic

2 min to read


Class 8 truck orders had another banner month in May and demand shows no signs of slowing down, according to the latest preliminary report from ACT Research.

ACT Research projects 35,600 heavy-duty truck orders for May, an increase of 2.5% over April. As an example of the continued strength of the equipment market this year, combined April and May order volume more than doubled the same stretch in 2017.

Ad Loading...

When accounting for seasonal adjustment, May’s projected truck order numbers look even better with Class 8 orders being booked at a 475,000-unit rate year to date.

“Preliminary net order data indicate that demand for Class 8 trucks continued in robust fashion in May,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior Analyst. “Seasonal adjustment begins to inflect positively this month. When adjusted, May’s Class 8 net order volume rises to 39,800 units.”

FTR Intelligence, which also tracks monthly Class 8 new truck orders, said that the past six months have averaged 40,000 orders per month, higher than in any other year the trucking industry has seen. The orders are being driven by increasingly tight capacity, as fleets are trying to meet increased freight demand with more equipment.

Ad Loading...

Making matters worse, manufacturers have been slow to deliver truck parts and components, according to FTR. These conditions have added to the frenzy of orders as fleets grab any available build slot in the hopes that they will receive more trucks before the end of the year.

“This is the tightest capacity crunch ever,” said Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial vehicles. “Long-time veterans in this industry are saying this is the best freight market they have ever seen. Fleets cannot add capacity fast enough and as long as the economy and manufacturing are going great, this capacity crisis will continue.”


Related: First Quarter 2018 Truck Orders Hit 12-Year High

More Equipment

Peterbilt-Kodiak autonomous truck.
Equipmentby Deborah LockridgeMay 8, 2026

Autonomous Trucks at ACT Expo 2026

Autonomous trucks commanded a lot of attention from attendees at ACT Expo this year. Check out this photo gallery.

Read More →
Crowd at Volvo booth at ACT Expo
Equipmentby Deborah LockridgeMay 8, 2026

How Volvo’s New D13 Engine Meets EPA 2027 Emissions Without Sacrificing Power or Fuel Efficiency

Volvo says advances in combustion and aftertreatment helped its new EPA 2027 D13 engine avoid the fuel-economy penalties many once expected from tighter NOx emissions limits.

Read More →
Fleet Advantage Truck Life Cycle Data Index chart comparing operating costs, fuel savings and total cost of ownership for Class 8 truck model years 2022 through 2028.
Equipmentby News/Media ReleaseMay 7, 2026

Fleet Advantage TLDI Highlights Rising Costs of Aging Fleet Equipment Amid Higher Diesel Prices

Fleet Advantage’s latest Truck Life Cycle Data Index shows fleets operating older Class 8 trucks could face significantly higher costs as diesel prices rise, while newer 2028 equipment may deliver savings of more than $12,000 per truck annually.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Two men in chairs on stage with big video screen behind them showing Tesla Semi
Fuel Smartsby Deborah LockridgeMay 7, 2026

'TCO’s Here.' Tesla Says Electric Semi Economics Are Ready for the Mainstream

Tesla’s Semi chief at ACT Expo outlined production growth, lower-cost models, charging expansion, and why the company believes fleets are leaving money on the table by waiting on electric trucks.

Read More →
Front view of a Mack Granite heavy-duty truck featuring the new ImpactShield windshield with Corning Fusion5 Glass technology.
Equipmentby News/Media ReleaseMay 6, 2026

Mack Trucks Debuts Mack ImpactShield Windshield Technology on All-new Mack Granite and Expanded New Truck Lineup

Mack Trucks is introducing ImpactShield, the first Class 8 truck windshield to use Corning Fusion5 Glass, designed to improve durability, reduce damage and help fleets minimize downtime.

Read More →
Aurora and Volvo Dallas-Oklahoma City autonomous truck route.
Equipmentby News/Media ReleaseMay 5, 2026

Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Aurora Begin Dallas - Oklahoma City Route

Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Aurora expand their freight network with a new Dallas–Oklahoma City route, moving closer to scaled driverless operations.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Gray Volvo tractor pulling trailer on open highway
Fuel Smartsby Deborah LockridgeMay 1, 2026

New High-Horsepower Natural Gas Engine Could Expand Fleet Options

Westport and Volvo are demonstrating a 500-hp truck with diesel-like efficiency — one that also offers what Westport says is a better pathway to using hydrogen fuel in trucks.

Read More →
Aurora Innovation self-driving truck.
Equipmentby News/Media ReleaseApril 30, 2026

Hirschbach Announces Plan to Deploy 500 Aurora Autonomous Trucks

Hirschbach and Aurora Innovation have inked a non-binding deal outlining a path to deploy 500 Aurora Driver-powered trucks into fleet operations.

Read More →
Bosch-Kodiak self-driving truck partnership.
Equipmentby News/Media ReleaseApril 30, 2026

Bosch, Kodiak AI Advance Toward Scaled Production of Autonomous Truck Hardware

New sensor integrations and component validation signal a shift from strategy to execution as Kodiak and Bosch push toward high-volume driverless truck deployment.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Great American Trucks: REO
Equipmentby Jack RobertsApril 29, 2026

Great American Trucks: REO

The evolution of the modern truck was a long, slow affair. But perhaps no other company did more to establish the template for what a modern truck should be, and how it should perform, than REO.

Read More →