COLUMBUS, Ind. — In June, Canada posted its highest net orders of Class 8 trucks since last November, but North American orders remained 51% lower than June of 08, according to the latest figures released by ACT Research.

ACT’s State of the Industry report showed North American Class 8 orders reached a six-month high in June, but the positive results were largely offset by a high rate of cancellations.

“In the heavy-duty market, new orders were at a six-month high, but an eight-month high in the cancellation rate brought net orders down closer to the recent run rate,” said Kenny Vieth, partner and senior analyst with ACT. “Additionally, Mexico and Canada markets, which were not materially affected by the increased cancellation rate, posted their highest net orders since the market collapse last November.”

The research group said medium-duty orders remained weak in June.

“Medium-duty markets remain broadly weak, with even the bus market, which is usually more dependent on daycare graduates than the economy, is under significant pressure,” Vieth said. “Since we began tracking in 1990, there has not been a six-month period of order weakness to compare to the current period.”

For more info, visit www.actresearch.net.