April North American Classes 5-7 net orders are expected at 17,800 units (±5%) and Class 8 net orders are expected at 24,400 units (±5%), when actual data are released mid-month, reported ACT Research, a publisher of new and used commercial vehicle (CV) industry data, market analysis and forecasting services for the North American market.

“Total North American Classes 5-8 orders totaled 42,200 units in April. While ranking as only the sixth best order month in the past seven, April was also the tenth best order month of the past eight years. Since demand ramped up at the beginning of Q4’13, total Classes 5-8 net orders have been booked at a 545,300 unit annual rate (499k SAAR),” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst. “For Class 8, the 24,400 NA net orders that were booked in April represented the lowest intake since November. April’s orders were down 11% from March, and were up just 5% compared to a year-ago. That single-digit y/y gain was just the second in fourteen months of strong double-digit gains.”

“Classes 5-7 saw strong orders continue through April. For the month, net orders rose 5% from April 2013, but fell to 2% from February to 17,800 units. Consistency continues to be a part of the MD vehicle order story: Over the past three, six and 12 months, orders have been booked at a 219k SAAR, a 209k SAAR and 209k units, respectively,” Vieth said.