ACT Research: Preliminary Net Trailer Orders Open 2023 Lower, But Strong Demand Continues
Preliminary net trailer orders dipped in January, with 24,200 units (22,000 SA) projected to have been booked during the month. Final January results will be available later this month. This preliminary market estimate should be within +/-5% of the final order tally.
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.
“We expected net orders to slow in January, after the explosion of orders in 2022’s final quarter. Despite the anticipated sequential decline, preliminary net orders were only 9% lower compared to the same month last year,” said Jennifer McNealy, Director CV Market Research & Publications at ACT Research. She added, “This month’s data are simply a return to more normal levels, following the year-end surge.”
McNealy continued, “Nearly as soon as a build slot is available, there is a fleet ready to fill it with an order. Demand remains strong, and with the backlog-to-build ratio near the 10-month mark, on average, fleets needing trailers continue to stay the course.”
When asked about build and backlog, she commented, “Using preliminary January orders and the corresponding OEM build plans from the January State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report (December data) for guidance, the trailer backlog should decrease by around 400 units when complete January data are released. That said, with orders being preliminary and the build number a projection, there will be some variability in reported backlogs when final data are collected.”
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.
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More information about ACT’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report.
Information about ACT Research’s other publications and services.
January’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers press release.
