May Class 8 Orders Fall 8% Y/Y; Medium Duty Orders Up 17%

For the month of May, 39,000 Classes 5-8 vehicle orders were booked, down 8% compared to May 2014, according to preliminary numbers from ACT Research.

“While the order comparisons are negative, looking only at orders does not provide sufficient context in regard to industry health,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s President and Senior Analyst. “Looking back one month to April, Classes 5-8 backlogs were nearly 63,000 units or 37% above their year-ago levels. Hence, orders are softer because many of them have already been placed.”

N. A. Class 8 orders posted their lowest monthly net order volume since September 2013 at 20,000 units, a decline of 23% from May 2014.

N.A. medium duty orders rebounded to 19,000 units, up 17% year-over-year, clearly signaling strong demand. “This was the sixth time in the past nine months that Classes 5-7 orders reached at least 19,000 units,” said Vieth.

Category: Featured, General Update