According to ACT Research Co., North American Class 8 orders ended 2017 by rising to a 37-month high of 37,500-plus units. Strong orders since September have boosted Class 8 backlogs, setting the stage for a healthy uptick in Class 8 production in 2018, ACT said.

“The U.S. market was the primary driver of December’s Class 8 order strength, with orders climbing 127% year-over-year, even as cancellations remained negligible,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst. “Tractor sleepers led the charge, jumping by 260%. The inability of carriers to find drivers, the inflection in freight volumes, hurricanes, and the strongest holiday shopping season since 2010 have conspired to create a capacity shortfall that has destabilized the trucking industry’s supply/demand balance.”

Regarding the medium-duty markets, Vieth said that in the time Class 8 has gone from peak to trough to peak, the medium-duty market has remained a model of consistency, with December orders up 2.2% year-over-year.