New US trailer orders of 16,800 unit were down 9% month-over-month in January, and after accounting for cancellations, net orders of 15,000 dropped 15%, according to ACT Research in this month’s ACT Research’s State of the Industry: US Trailer Report.
Longer-term comparisons show net orders down 28% year-over-year, ACT said.
“Fleets continued their conservative investment posture in all equipment categories in January,” said Frank Maly, director of CV transportation analysis and research at ACT. “Discussions indicate that the winds of weaker freight volumes and lower rates continue to buffet fleet financial results. They are also seriously questioning their need for additional equipment, as many indicate that capacity constraints dissipated many months ago.
“An indication of fleet investment retrenchment was heard at the recently completed ACT Seminar No 62, where one fleet panel participant indicated that they will not be adding any equipment to their operations this year. That appears to be a common stance of many fleets for 2020.”
ACT’s US Trailers report provides a monthly review of current US trailer market statistics, as well as trailer OEM build plans and market indicators divided by all major trailer types, including backlogs, build, inventory, new orders, cancellations, net orders and factory shipments.
It is accompanied by a database that provides historical information from 1996 to the present, as well as a ready-to-use graph packet, to allow organizations in the trailer production supply chain, and those following the investment value of trailers and trailer OEMs and suppliers, to better understand the market.