BLOOMINGTON, Ind. —  FTR reports preliminary trailer orders for February were 24,000 units, down nine per cent from January, and down 24% year-over-year.

February was the third month in row that trailer orders were in the mid-20,000’s as some van OEMs are basically solid out for 2019, with few build slots left open, FTR said.

Trailer orders for the past 12 months now total 386,000.

Don Ake, FTR vice-president of commercial vehicles said: “The decent February order volumes mean that backlogs should only decline modestly during March. The trailer market continues to show surprising resilience despite the moderation in economic and freight growth. The current strength of the trailer market is good news for the general economy. It indicates fleets expect sturdy freight demand to continue throughout 2019.”