NASHVILLE, Ind. — Class 8 net orders surged 21.6% in September, up 38.8% over September 2009, according to preliminary figures from FTR Associates.

That brings net order activity for the six-month period including September to 163,100 annualized units, including the US, Canada, Mexico and exports.

“Net orders for September came in about where we expected, and while better than August, aren’t indicative of any significant shift in fleet buying plans that would result in strong growth next year,” surmised Eric Starks, president of FTR. “We’ll closely watch the next two months because they are typically the strongest in the seasonal cycle. If orders don’t come in at close to 20,000 in October and higher in November, that will be evidence in our view that many fleets will continue to sit on the sidelines until they are more comfortable of a sustained economic recovery.”