COLUMBUS, Ind. — Classes 5-8 commercial vehicle preliminary net orders in North America for September improved month-over-month beyond expectations, according to a report by ACT Research Co. The final numbers, which will be released mid-October, will approach 23,800 units for heavy-duty Class 8 trucks and 13,800 for medium Classes 5-7 vehicles, according to the report. Both vehicle categories also posted positive year-over-year gains, ACT officials said. The preliminary net order numbers are typically accurate to within 5% of actual.

“The strength in orders is indicative of healthy underlying fundamentals in the heavy truck market,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst. “Fleet equipment is old, trucker profitability is good, and used truck values are strong; barring an economic collapse, these factors should support continued strength in Class 8 orders.”