ACT Research: 2023 Orderboard Floodgates Open, September US Trailer Orders Rush In

ACT Research Co.
4 min readOct 28, 2022

September net US trailer orders of 26,086 units were 47% higher compared to last month, but 8% below the year-ago September level, according to this month’s issue of ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report.

September 2022 Net Trailer Orders

ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report provides a monthly review of the current US trailer market statistics, as well as trailer OEM build plans and market indicators divided by all major trailer types, including backlogs, build, inventory, new orders, cancellations, net orders, and factory shipments. It is accompanied by a database that gives historical information from 1996 to the present, as well as a ready-to-use graph packet, to allow organizations in the trailer production supply chain, and those following the investment value of trailers, trailer OEMs, and suppliers to better understand the market.

Total Trailers Backlog & Backlog/Build Ratio

“Discussions across the past month continue to indicate more OEMs opening 2023 build slots (some opening initial slots, others expanding into later in the year). OEMs’ fleet negotiations are now quickly moving to booked business,” said Jennifer McNealy, Director–CV Market Research & Publications at ACT Research.

State of The Industry: U.S. Trailers

McNealy added, “September is a quarter-ending month, and keeping with historical patterns, the clearing of red-tag units buttressed strong build and factory shipment data this month. While manufacturers continue to wrestle with rolling supply-chain disruptions, as well as challenges on the labor front, tangible improvements are being made, as illustrated in the build data.” Regarding September orders, McNealy offered, “September orders were mixed, with some categories virtually unchanged from August, others down double digits, and a few up triple digits. The explanation: 2022 backlogs are filled and build slot availability in 2023 varies widely by OEM, limiting customers’ ability to place orders.”

ACT Research is recognized as the leading publisher of commercial vehicle truck, trailer, and bus industry data, market analysis, and forecasts for the North America and China markets. ACT’s analytical services are used by all major North American truck and trailer manufacturers and their suppliers, as well as banking and investment companies. ACT Research is a contributor to the Blue Chip Economic Indicators and a member of the Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Panel. ACT Research executives have received peer recognition, including election to the Board of Directors of the National Association for Business Economics, appointment as Consulting Economist to the National Private Truck Council, and the Lawrence R. Klein Award for Blue Chip Economic Indicators’ Most Accurate Economic Forecast over a four-year period. ACT Research senior staff members have earned accolades including Chicago Federal Reserve Automotive Outlook Symposium Best Overall Forecast, Wall Street Journal Top Economic Outlook, and USA Today Top 10 Economic Forecasters. More information can be found at www.actresearch.net.

ACT’s 68th Seminar is scheduled for February 21–23, 2023. Look for more details on this event over the coming months and save the date for February’s event. When details are available, they may be found at www.actresearch.net.

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Click here for more information about ACT’s US Trailer Report.

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ACT Research Co.

ACT Research is the leader in commercial vehicle industry data, market analysis, and forecasting services for North America.