According to separate ACT Research and FTR reporting, October’s preliminary North American Class 8 orders jumped to 38,900 units and 40,100 units, respectively.
According to preliminary reports from FTR, September’s U.S. net trailer orders hit a third-highest-month-ever record at 52,000 units, 23,500 units above August and 33,400 more than September 2019.
According to FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index for August, carriers saw a positive rate environment with reading of 8.31.
Class 8 orders surged in September to the highest since October 2018, as a stronger than expected economic and freight recovery is giving fleets more confidence and spurring equipment orders.
According to FTR, preliminary U.S. trailer orders for August increased 49% since July to 28,700 units, the biggest jump since October 2019.
Pent-up consumer demand from COVID-19 shutdowns continues to buoy spot freight rates, but a still-weak manufacturing sector has experts at FTR cautioning that things could turn downward again.
Although FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index for July was down approximately 25% from June’s 11.35 reading, trucking conditions continue to remain favorable for carriers as the recovery continues across the country.
According to both ACT Research and FTR, preliminary North American Class 8 net orders for August increased, climbing to 19,500 and 20,500 units, respectively.
The sudden, devastating economic collapse caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was so unprecedented, that even seasoned economists admit it’s difficult to predict what the recovery will look like.
After a record low of -28.66 this past April, FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index jumped to a historic high to 11.35 for June, the highest in a decade.