Preliminary data shows that September Class 8 truck total net orders for all major North American OEMs were 14,872 units, a 21.6% increase over the previous month and 38.8% better than September 2009, according to FTR Associates.
Net order activity for the six-month period including September annualizes to 163,100 units. The figure includes U.S., Canada, Mexico and Exports.
“Net orders for September came in about where we expected, and while better than August, aren't indicative of any significant shift in fleet-buying plans that would result in strong growth next year,” said Eric Starks, President of FTR. “We'll closely watch the next two months because they are typically the strongest in the seasonal cycle. If orders don't come in at close to 20,000 in October and higher in November, that will be evidence in our view that many fleets will continue to sit on the sidelines until they are more comfortable of a sustained economic recovery.”
Final data for September will be available from FTR later in the month as part of its North American Commercial Truck & Trailer Outlook service. Contact FTR Associates at [email protected] or 1-888-988-1699 ext 0 for more details.