COLUMBUS, IN — A recent three-month dip in class-8 sales is due to non-confidence on behalf of truck purchasers.

At least that’s what the latest data out of ACT Research shows. (ACT issued a State of The Industry Report on the class-5-through-8 truck market earlier this week.)

“Smaller truckers who have to borrow to buy are most likely driving older trucks with relatively low values,” says Ken Vieth, ACT’s President and Senior Analyst.

“Those truckers need to borrow $90,000 to $100,000 to finance a new truck, but their confidence has been shaken,” he adds.

Event in early 2012, including economic concerns, a 9.5-percent jump in fuel prices through Q1 and inconsistent freight have shaken up the borrowers’ confidence, leading to the three-month decline in the class-8 market, the report shows.

“If the pullback in orders was freight-related, we would have expected to see a run-up in cancellation activity, which has not been the case,” Vieth says.

“This suggests to us that the problems with demand are not systemic.”

Vieth said a continuation of freight growth, healthy profits for truckers and rising prices for used trucks are expected to support class-8 demand once the smoke clears.