U.S. heavy-duty trailer orders skyrocketed in September as fleets moved aggressively to secure equipment for the 2027 cycle.

Both industry forecasting firms tracking the data reported month-over-month and year-over-year gains driven by pent-up replacement demand and the push to get ahead of impending tariff-related price increases. The strong start to the new order season highlights a shift in capital spending as carriers look to refresh and potentially expand their existing capacity.

“Industry feedback reinforces the improving outlook,” Dan Moyer, FTR’s senior analyst for commercial vehicles, said in a news release. “Rising quote activity and more requests for proposals indicate that fleets are becoming increasingly active in equipment planning. Trailer leasing utilization remains high while availability has tightened in certain markets, suggesting growing pressure on existing equipment capacity.”

ACT notes perfect storm

Preliminary net trailer orders in September reached 42,700 units, marking a 311% year-over-year gain and an increase of more than 32,000 units from the previous September, according to ACT Research. The firm noted that on a nominal basis, net orders were up 18,000 units—or 75% sequentially—though the seasonally adjusted (SA) volume of 36,700 units represented a more modest 9% rise from August’s SA intake.

“ACT Research continues to hear that the dramatic spike in U.S. trailer orders is a four-fold event: customers ordering ahead of tariff-related price increases, healthier long-term profitability conditions for carriers, pent-up replacement demand, and a sharply tighter driver supply,” said Jennifer McNealy, ACT’s director of CV market research and publications. “The current U.S. trailer industry environment is a perfect storm: Carriers now have both the willingness and the ability to purchase equipment and are inspired to do so sooner rather than later, as they also face rising prices and an untested domestic supply chain that could cause build constraints, lengthier production queues, and delayed deliveries.”

With order intake coming in well above current build levels, ACT expects industry backlogs to rise by approximately 18,000 units once full industry data is reported.

FTR tracks capital shifts

FTR reported September U.S. trailer orders jumped to 43,059 units, representing the highest volume since December 2022. The firm’s data showed a surge of 78% month-over-month and a 385% year-over-year spike.

According to FTR, the early opening of 2027 order books and anticipation of further trailer price increases encouraged fleets to place their orders sooner. The firm also noted that the conclusion of the Class 8 pre-buy and regulatory uncertainty surrounding the EPA’s 2027 NOx compliance requirements may be shifting near-term capital spending away from power units and toward trailers.

However, FTR cautioned that September’s exceptional order pace may not be sustained long-term, noting that elevated equipment costs, potential supply chain constraints, trade uncertainty, and competing fleet capital needs could eventually temper the pace of the recovery.