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.
Despite a significant drop off in trailer orders to close out the year, 2018 was the best year on record for trailer orders, according to preliminary reports from ACT Research and FTR.
Trailer orders last month continued at a record-setting pace, with November expected to wind up the fifth best month in industry history.
Trailer net orders set a record in the third quarter of 2018, driven by strong freight demand throughout the year, according to ACT Research.
Trailer orders keep pouring in, with preliminary data from Act Research indicating 55,530 were ordered in October and research firm FTR calling trailer orders “tremendous for the second month in a row,” giving a total for October of 53,000 units.
Total trailer net orders of more than 58,000 units were up 52% month over month – and 135% better than this time last year, according to ACT Research.