June Trailer Orders Jump 29% as Fleets Book Early 2016 Commitments
Last month’s U.S. net order total represented a 29% jump from 21,687 a year earlier and a 73% spike from 16,092 in May.
The June increase in trailer orders snapped a streak of four year-over-year declines that began in February. It also was the biggest net order total for the month of June since 1994, which stood at about 32,000 units, the firm said.
ACT analyst Frank Maly said the June order surge was “exceptionally early,” defying normal seasonal patterns for the trailer industry.
June, July and August typically are the slowest months of the year for order activity, Maly said, adding that order levels usually begin to pick up in September, accelerate further in October and then remain strong through the fall and winter.
He said the unusually strong June total reflected a significant increase in fleets placing orders for trailers to be built next year. This year’s build slots are full or nearly full for many product lines, so customers are acting early to get in line for 2016, Maly said.
Despite the surge in activity last month, year-to-date orders continue to trail last year’s pace. In the first half of 2015, orders totaled 136,000 units, down from 154,000 in the first six months of 2014.
