COLUMBUS, Ind. — Preliminary net trailer orders dropped about 3,700 units from January to February, a contraction of 17%.
According to ACT Research, at 18,000 units, order intake was down about 14% compared to February 2024. Seasonal adjustment (SA) at this point in the annual order cycle lowers February tally to 17,000 units, and that’s about 12% below January’s seasonally adjusted intake. Final February results will be available later this month. This preliminary market estimate is typically within ±5% of the final order tally.
Expected Dip
“A sequential drop in net orders was expected, as we move toward the weaker order months of the annual intake cycle, and from that perspective, February did not disappoint,” said Jennifer McNealy, director CV market research and publications at ACT Research. “It’s also no surprise that data are lower than the February 2024 intake, given the uncertainty currently plaguing the US commercial vehicle industry and the economy at large.”
Ambiguity in Trailer Market
“Despite the ambiguity that continues to buttress the trailer market pause we’ve seen for the last year, made worse by the constant policy shifting of the last few months, orders are expected to be placed but at a subdued level throughout 2025,” McNealy said. “That said, this is not a shift in ACT’s expectations, as weak trailer demand is the result of weak for-hire truck market fundamentals, low used equipment valuations, relatively full dealer inventories, and high interest rates impeding stronger activity in the near term.”
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
