According to the numbers from both FTR and ACT Research Co., truck orders predictably fell in April from the stratospheric heights reached in January through March of this year; however, the numbers were still significantly improved year-over-year for April.

FTR reported that preliminary North American Class 8 orders for April dropped to 34,700 units for the month. While this was the largest drop month-over-month since 2011, FTR says it was completely expected and notes that the month was still up 50% versus April 2017.

“To put the April results into perspective,” said Jonathan Starks, FTR’s chief intelligence officer, “while we saw a nearly 12,000 unit drop from March, the figure is still above the average month for Q4 of last year. This remains a very elevated market.”

“These order levels will continue to put pressure on the OEMs and suppliers to increase production and output. The market will stay red-hot into 2019. The question remains: how hot can they run?”

According to ACT, preliminary North America Classes 5-8 net order data show the industry booked 59,600 units in April.

“In ACT’s 30-plus years of collecting industry statistics, the Class 8 market has never had four consecutive months in which orders exceeded 40,000 units,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst. “Preliminary data indicate that the wall remains in place as 34,800 Class 8 net orders were booked in April, stopping the latest string of 40k-plus order months at three.”

Additionally, solid medium-duty order activity continued into April, if below levels seen through Q1. In April, preliminary NA Classes 5-7 net orders rose 33% year-over-year to 24,800 units. “There is virtually no seasonality in April for the MD market. As a result, and while orders were down 16% nominally from March, on a seasonally adjusted basis, Classes 5-7 orders were 24,900 units, up 200 units/0.8% month over month” said Vieth.