North American Class 8 truck net orders were at 24,115 in April, 5% above a year ago and 11% below March, according to preliminary data from FTR Associates.
The year-over-year positive comparisons were up for a 15th consecutive month. Class 8 orders over the last six months have seen activity reach 334,000 units on an annualized rate. OEMs are expected to continue to raise build rates to meet the demand.
“April orders generally met our expectations and are in line with our forecast,” said Don Ake, FTR Vice President of Commercial Vehicles. “Class 8 order activity was bound to fall back some from the velocity of the past four months. With orders up almost 28% year to date, the industry is on track for a great year.”
Final data for April will be available from FTR later in the month as part of its North American Commercial Truck & Trailer Outlook service. To contact FTR, send an email to [email protected] or call (888) 988-1699 ext. 1.