Final North American Class 8 net orders totaled 36.8k units in December indicating a strong tractor demand as published in ACT Research’s latest State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 report.
“Despite generationally weak profits in for-hire, large fleets still need to replenish existing/aging equipment, and with the defensive assumption that EPA’s Clean Truck regulation will go ahead as is at the start of 2027, private fleets, who crucially have the budget, are likely continuing to focus on fleet age ahead of the large price increase expected for tractors,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst.
Total Class 8 North American Net Orders
“Despite generationally weak profits in for-hire, large fleets still need to replenish existing/aging equipment, and with the defensive assumption that EPA’s Clean Truck regulation will go ahead as is at the start of 2027, private fleets, who crucially have the budget, are likely continuing to focus on fleet age ahead of the large price increase expected for tractors,” Vieth said.
Total Classes 5-7 North American Net Orders
“Vocational truck orders totaled a healthy 8.1k units. While additional production capacity that came online in late 2024 likely satiated some demand, and with higher interest rates in 2025 potentially cooling demand slightly, we remain firm in our belief that 2025 will be the best year for vocational truck demand since 2006,” Vieth said.
Regarding medium duty, Vieth added that Total Classes 5-7 orders decreased 40% y/y to 16.8k units. Orders slowed in the last quarter of 2024, as near record-high inventories and a stagnant sales trend weigh on medium-duty truck demand levels.
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.
