Preliminary reports indicate trailer orders for December were down from the previous month and significantly down from the same time last year, according to ACT Research and FTR estimates.
As equipment ordering season for 2020 kicks off, October trailer orders hit the highest level since November 2018.
Trailer orders hit the highest level of 2019 in September, rebounding a bit from a slow year for equipment sales, and it could indicate that fleets are more optimistic about 2020.
“With 2020 [trailer] order boards fully open, the dramatic lack of fleet interest continues to astound."
New trailer orders in the U.S. recovered somewhat from an anemic June, increasing 22% month over-month and showing the first sequential month-to-month increase in nine months, according to ACT Research.
Trailer orders continued to slide in May as OEMs catch up on building orders from last year. But with few signs that ordering will pick up again this year and a slowing economy, could it mean lower prices for fleets in the future?
Trailer orders are down this year through April but production levels are near all-time highs as OEMs work through the glut of orders from last year.
Trailer orders in March fell to the lowest level since late 2016, according to reports from analysts at FTR and ACT Research – but demand's still high.
In the latest Trailer Components Report from ACT Research, analysts say that trailer orders could be slowing down due to the uncertainty of material and components pricing at future dates.
January trailer order numbers were down to start the year as fleets and trailer makers are still dealing with the large amount of orders made in 2018.