‘Eyebrow-raising’ data points seen in August Class 8 orders

by Truck News

COLUMBUS, Ind. — ACT Research has reported final numbers for August’s truck order activity, with Class 8 orders coming in at 20,200 units.

Classes 5-7 orders were nearly 17,900.

Kenny Vieth, ACT’s resident and senior analyst, noted that August Class 8 data contained “several eyebrow-raising data points, including a second consecutive month of off-trend production, cancellations at a 71-month high, and only about 1,000 August orders booked into Q4 build slots.”

He added, “While some items are more worrisome than others, they are interrelated and reflective of underwhelming domestic economic activity. Add to that, a product denominated in a strong US dollar is adding drag on Class 8 demand on top of soft Canadian and Mexican economies. The strong dollar and weak global economy are also severely impacting exports of heavy trucks from North America.”

As for medium-duty orders, Vieth said the “slow and steady pace of demand remains in place,” and he noted Class 5 order activity was particularly high.


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