COLUMBUS, Ind — Trailer manufacturers and major component suppliers continue to indicate strong demand and lingering supply-chain constraints.
Despite expanding availability, 2023 is not yet fully open across the industry, partially because manufacturers continue to face volatile commodity costs, long lead times for some input components and improved but still challenged labor considerations, according to April’s issue of ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report.
“Seasonally adjusted, the backlog-to-build ratio rose 100 basis points month-over-month, to 8.3 months, with weaker build in a seasonally strong month, from 7.3 months in February,” said Jennifer McNealy, director of market research and publications at ACT Research. “Seasonal adjustment takes dry van BL/BU to 8.3 months and reefers to 10.7, so either way one looks at it, with or without seasonal adjustment, this essentially commits the industry very deep into 2023.”
Evidencing the concerns about supply-chain constraints, March’s build per day declined 3% to 1,318 units per day, down from February’s 1,359, McNealy noted.
“Overall build rose 14% month-over-month due to three more build days in March than February, a 14% increase,” McNealy said. “Production growth continues its upswing, and our projections point to a continuation of that trend.”
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