COLUMBUS, Ind. — Research indicates that February net trailer orders, just below 18.2k units, were down 17% from January and 13% below the level accepted in February 2024, according to this month’s issue of ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report.
“Net orders are signaling that the worst of the downturn may be in the rearview mirror,” said Jennifer McNealy, Director–CV Market Research & Publications at ACT Research. “However, we caution that the industry’s annual period of seasonally stronger order months is ending, and weaker intake months are expected as we move into the late spring/summer, amid tariff uncertainty that is likely extending the ‘pause’ on ordering decisions.”
“We’re hearing from those on the trailer industry’s frontlines that general economic concerns in the face of tariff ambiguity and its ongoing impact on the freight markets are causing customers to delay ordering. With weak profits and still-soft freight rates, fleet decision makers are reluctant to pull-the-trigger on large capital investments until the dust settles and the operating environment becomes clearer,” McNealy concluded.
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.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
