November Class 8 Orders Weak; Classes 5-7 Demand Solid

For the month of November, on a preliminary basis, 35,300 Classes 5-8 vehicle orders were booked, down 26% from October and down 37% from November 2014’s outsized rate of order placements.

At 16,600 units in November, NA Class 8 net orders were nearly 60% lower than a year ago, the same pattern as last month, when Class 8 orders were off 37% year-over-year, reported ACT Research.

“Unfortunately, little of the decline can be accounted for by seasonality,” said Steve Tam, ACT’s VP-Commercial Vehicle Sector. “November was the weakest Class 8 net order month since August 2010 on a seasonally adjusted basis and September 2012 on an actual basis. A glut of inventory in the broader economy has led to slowing freight and lower freight rates. This, in turn, has caused truckers to hit the pause button on truck orders.”

Contrasting the Class 8 market, solid orders continued for medium-duty Classes 5-7 in November.

For the month, NA medium-duty vehicle net orders were 18,700. “More prevalent direct exposure to facets of the economy other than those that generate freight has allowed demand for medium-duty vehicles to remain more stable,” said Tam. “Despite falling 15% month over month, the year-over-year and year-to-date comparisons reveal growth in the mid-single-digit percentage point range.”

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