BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Trailer orders rebounded in September, to 19,000 units according to preliminary figures from FTR.

That marked the strongest month since February, as some fleets began placing orders for 2020. Orders were up 81% compared to August, but down 66% year-over-year.

Net orders would have been even higher if not for cancellations of excess 2019 orders, FTR reported.

“This is a decent order amount for September. It indicates fleets are somewhat optimistic about 2020. Orders should rise to healthy levels in October, as more large fleets place their 2020 orders. The increase in September orders signals the trailer market is becoming much more stable and should be settling into historic order patterns, after a turbulent couple of years,” surmised Don Ake, FTR’s vice-president, commercial vehicles.

“Trailer sales are expected to dip in 2020 after hitting record volumes in 2019. However, the forecast is still for a solid year based on moderate economic and freight growth, which should provide fleets with enough profits to buy new equipment.”