U.S. Trailer Net Orders Dropped 97% Sequentially in April, -99% Y/Y

ACT Research says April was disturbingly close to a net negative order month

April net US trailer orders of 209 units were down 97% month-over-month and 99% below the previous year. Before accounting for cancellations, new orders of 5.7k units were down 57% versus March, according to this month’s issue of ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailer Report.

“It is difficult to comprehend a report of 209 net total trailer orders in April,” said Frank Maly, Director–CV Transportation Analysis and Research at ACT Research. He added, “By far the weakest monthly net order volume in industry history, April was disturbingly close to a net negative order month, and even new order volume of just under 6,000 trailers was the fourth worst month since 1990.”

Maly continued, “Several discussions regarding April included comments indicating that the shift in fleet investment plans was abrupt, and more concerning were the comments that fleet confidence continued to worsen in May, with recent descriptions depicting the market as the worst ever experienced.” He commented, “The surge in freight volumes that came from critical goods movement and what could easily be termed consumer ‘panic buying’ is done, and fleets perceive that shift.” Maly concluded, “Large fleets remain on the sidelines, and financial pressures will likely push many small and medium fleets entirely off the playing field, leaving some very challenging months ahead.”

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