FTR: Class 8 orders maintain steady growth in April

Net orders for North American Class 8 trucks totaled 23,600 units in April 2017, up 4 percent from the previous month and 77 percent from the previous year, according to freight transportation analyst FTR.    Net orders for North American Class 8 trucks totaled 23,600 units in April 2017, according to preliminary figures from freight transportation analyst FTR.
   The April order activity was up 4 percent compared with the previous month and 77 percent from the same 2016 period.
   Class 8 truck orders totaled 164,000 units in 2016, and according to FTR, orders for the past six months now annualize to 262,000 units.
   “Fleets are expecting better freight conditions in the second half of the year and current order activity reflects that,” the firm said. “ Backlogs should increase in April, getting close to where they were a year ago.”
   “The order pattern continues to track a sustained, normal pattern,” said Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial vehicles. “In this order cycle, the fleets did not place all the big orders in October and November. They all didn’t jump into the pool at once. Some fleets did order at that time, but since then, fleets have placed orders in a more measured, steady fashion as they became more confident about 2017.
   “There should be one more month of good orders before the traditional summer break,” he added.