Softer orders and a continuation of strong build caused the Class 8 backlog to fall nearly 8,000 units to 106,407 units in April, according to the State of the Industry report by ACT Research Co. (ACT).
“Heavy-duty orders continued to disappoint in April,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT.
“However, OEM build plans remain aggressive. For those build plans to come to pass, orders need to recover sooner, rather than later. A continuation of reasonable freight growth, strong trucker profits, and healthy used truck prices are expected to support demand once the current period of uncertainty is worked through.”