FTR reports preliminary trailer orders fell 3% m/m in August to a total of 16,400 units.  August 2022 trailer order activity was +21% y/y with orders now totaling 286,000 units for the past twelve months. Factors such as labor conditions, component supply chains, and volatile raw material prices remain the primary factors preventing OEMs from committing to new orders for 2023.

“In discussions with both suppliers and OEMs labor continues to endure as one of the greatest factors inhibiting the industry’s ability to increase production,” said Charles Roth, commercial vehicle analyst, FTR. “Visibility into component and raw material supply chains, which is necessary for OEMs to plan production and quote new orders will only increase as we move through Q4 as suppliers finalize and provide OEMs with pricing and lead time commitments for Q1 production.

“We anticipate industry backlog levels will again decline m/m in August, continuing a trend that has been present for the past five months,” Roth said. “Demand nonetheless continues to remain exceptionally robust as fleets and end-users have struggled to replace aged equipment and have been limited as to the opportunity to add additional equipment necessary to meet any plans to increase overall fleet capacity. Fleets continue to see allocation limits for build slots as well as existing orders being pushed out into the future.”