Drop in March Classes 5-8 Preliminary Orders Sends Mixed Signals

With the recent drop in container shipments, spot freight availability moving north and preliminary classes 5-8 order volumes moderating, the economic recovery – as measured in the fleet and trucking world – might be under a bit of pressure.

Let’s go to the numbers, courtesy of ACT Research.

March was the first month in the past six in which Classes 5-8 MD & HD orders fell below the 50,000 unit mark. For the month, 44,700 Classes 5-8 vehicle orders were booked, down 2% compared the March 2014 (±5%).

“As expected, Class 8 order activity moderated into March as 25,100 NA net orders were booked (24.4k SA),” said Steve Tam, VP-Commercial Vehicle Sector. “Down 9% compared to last year, March’s orders marked the end of a twenty-five month streak of consecutive year-over-year gains. Rather than signaling weakness in the market, March’s lower intake is more akin to turning the tap down as the pool nears the full mark.”

That’s one way to put it.

MD orders extended their run of year-over-year gains, with six of the past seven months now showing positive. For the month, Classes 5-7 net orders slipped to 19,600 units, down 1% from February, but up 8% compared to a year ago. Seasonal adjustment discounts March’s activity, pulling the month’s orders down to 19,100 units.

Category: Featured, General Update