Trailer orders continued their strong showings this year in October, coming in at just under September’s record-setting number, according to the data from both ACT Research Co. and FTR.

FTR had trailer orders for October at 53,000 units, up 67% over October of 2017. According to FTR, the strong numbers can be attributed to OEMs taking orders for the second half of 2019, and their customers responding by placing huge orders to reserve future build slots. Supply for production parts and components remains tight.

“The supply chain is struggling to perform well and more trailers are needed to improve delivery times. Fleets are expecting the good times to continue and want to make sure they have an adequate supply of trailers throughout 2019,” said Don Ake, FTR’s vice president of commercial vehicles.

ACT Research’s preliminary estimate for October 2018 net trailer orders is 55,250 units.

“Our projection ranks October as the second-best net order month in history, up more than 70% year-over-year,” said Frank Maly, ACT’s director of CV transportation analysis and research. “Through ten months, net orders are up 55% versus last year, strong evidence of the positive fleet outlook driving robust investment plans. The longevity of the current order cycle is evident with a review of recent history; six of the industry’s top ten order months have occurred since last November.”