CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The recent surge in heavy-duty truck orders will slow as the buying focus shifts from better-capitalized large fleets to smaller carriers that may not be able to afford as much new equipment, industry experts said.

The freight-trailer industry rebounded sharply during 2010, with orders more than doubling to 166,500 and shipments rising 52% over 2009 to 119,900 units, ACT Research Co. reported.

Factory orders rose 0.2% in December, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

Fueled by growth in dry vans, net trailer orders in the United States reached a two-year high in November of 21,314 units, ACT Research reported.

Orders for Class 8 trucks in North America soared to more than 26,000 in November, jumping at least 148% from a year ago and 38% from October, industry consultants said.

U.S. factory orders decreased 0.9% in October, the first drop in four months, the Commerce Department said Friday.

Durable goods orders dropped 3.3% in October, the largest decrease since January 2009, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

I have been following your Class 8 sales data but recently have noticed that you are publishing information on Class 8 orders. The difference is about 2,000 to 3,000 units, and I am curious as to what the definition of sales vs. orders is in your articles.

U.S. factory orders grew 2.1% in September, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

Orders for new heavy-duty trucks jumped about 40% in September compared with the same month last year, an unexpectedly strong showing that analysts said resulted from a sharp boost in trucker confidence that sets the stage for a strong sales year in 2011.