Class 8 Orders Drop Sharply in July
North American Class 8 orders fell to about 10,000 in July, the weakest level in nearly six years, analysts reported.
Columbus, Indiana-based ACT Research Co. said Class 8 fell 57% year-over-year to 10,500, citing preliminary numbers for July it would revise by mid-August. In July 2015, orders were 24,661.
The drop was “in line with the two-speed U.S. economy of healthy consumers and weak industrial activity,” ACT President Kenny Vieth said in a statement.
Research firm FTR pegged the orders at 10,400, also citing preliminary figures.
Several significant order cancellations resulted in net orders falling 19% below June and being below expectations, FTR said.
Individual (truck manufacturer) performance was mixed, depending on the number of cancelled orders, the research firm said.
July activity further eroded annualized order rates, now at 210,000 for the past 12 months, according to Bloomington, Indiana-based FTR.
