U.S. trailer orders up in November: FTR

BLOOMINGTON, IN – November saw net trailer orders in the United States rise 34% over the month before according to FTR Intelligence.

Analysts said orders topped 42,600 units for the month, up 19% over the same period last year.

While the order volume indicates a strong industry, it will also boost OEM backlogs, which looked to be declining at the end of October.

FTR says the high November orders indicate production should continue at a healthy clip into the beginning of the new year. Trailer orders are now at 295,000 in the past 12 months.

Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial vehicles said freight growth has been tremendous in the last quarter of 2017.

 “We can expect more use of drop-and-hook logistics in dry vans, refrigerated vans and flatbeds as trailer truck productivity is reduced and the driver shortage intensifies,” he said.