COLUMBUS, Ind. -- Demand for commercial trailers surged 80% in October compared to September and was up 124% compared to last October, according to the latest information from ACT Research.
The latest State of the Industry: US Trailers report by ACT indicated six of nine trailer types showed sequential gains in new orders, led by a 155% gain dry van net orders in October. However, the backlog-to-build ratio stood at 3.9 months, which remains below the level that can support production rates, ACR reported.
“An issue that adds complexity to interpreting current order activity is that October is normally the beginning of a seasonally strong period for orders,” said Kenny Vieth, partner and senior analyst with ACT Research. “While the sequential increase was well beyond a normal seasonal uptick, the limited orders in backlog will still keep a lid on production in the near term.”
The report can be ordered at www.actresearch.net.