FTR has released preliminary data showing January 2015 North American Class 8 truck net orders at 35,060 units. While orders cooled from the torrid pace of Q4 2014, FTR said that this is the strongest activity for January since 2006, improving 2% year-over-year.
According to the research firm, orders fell back into more traditional patterns with most, but not all, OEMs continuing their strong order momentum. Class 8 orders have totaled 377,000 over the past 12 months.
“Even though orders were their lowest in the last four months, the market remains very robust,” said Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial vehicles. “Fleets are now trying to determine their requirements for the entire year and then place orders accordingly. With limited build slots available, they have to be more strategic in their buying decisions. We should see more normal ordering cycles for the next few months. The orders this month continue to support the strong FTR forecast and are right in line with our expectations.”
Final data for December will be available from FTR later in the month.
To learn more about FTR, visit www.ftrintel.com.
