COLUMBUS, Ind. — A preliminary reading of heavy-duty Class 8 commercial vehicles net orders for North American markets fell from April’s high watermark but remained strong, according to ACT Research Co. (ACT). Net orders were up 85% from a year ago. Preliminary net order numbers are subject to revision and are typically accurate to within 5% plus or minus, according to ACT.

“May represents the seventh consecutive month of orders above the 24,000 unit level, a clear sign of elevated Class 8 demand. Though May had the lowest order intake of the last three months, orders were booked in excess of a 365,000 unit annualized rate from March to May. Industry backlogs, which stood at just over 125,000 units at the end of April, likely rose as May orders outpaced OEM planned production for the month,” said Steve Tam, vice-president, commercial vehicle sector.

“So far, trucks have yet to show any reaction to the recent rash of disappointing economic news. Their freight remains strong, exceeding hauling capacity at this time. Carriers are thinking about their future prospects when making significant capital expenditures on new equipment. If they only reacted to today’s news, they would be paralyzed into inaction.”