FTR: U.S. Trailer orders rebound in February

United States truck trailer net orders totaled 21,300 units for the month, a 21 percent increase from January and 2 percent bump from February 2015.    United States truck trailer net orders totaled 21,300 units in February, a 21 percent increase from January and 2 percent bump compared with February 2015, according to the latest figures from the freight transportation analyst FTR.
   FTR previously reported U.S. trailer orders totaled 17,900 in January 2016 and 313,000 units for the full year in 2015.
   The firm said the “significant improvement was somewhat better than anticipated considering the sturdy backlogs currently at trailer OEMs.”
   Dry van orders remained “subdued,” but refrigerated van orders saw a 40 percent bump in February from the previous month with flatbed orders their highest since October 2015. The flatbed and dump trailer segments both improved month-over-month as well.
   “The trailer market continues at a strong and steady pace. Orders were fairly impressive considering the robust ordering at the end of 2015,” FTR Vice President of Commercial Vehicles Don Ake said of the increase. “Van orders have slowed, but it’s good to see the increased orders in the other segments. It would appear the trailer market has stabilized for now at a high level.”
   “Backlogs are tremendous for dry vans and refrigerated vans,” he added. “This should support current build rates through Q2 and into Q3. Cancellations were very low, so the backlog looks solid for now. The van market is being driven by pent-up replacement demand. The large fleets are still making good profits and are investing money in upgrading their trailers.”