NA Class 5-8 net orders end 2020 on a high note

NA Class 5-8 net orders end 2020 on a high note

FTR reports preliminary North American Class 8 net orders for December continued at a high level at 52,100 units. December 2020 order activity was the fourth-highest ever and just 700 units fewer than November, up 169% over a year ago, FTR says, adding Class 8 orders for 2020 totaled 283,000 units.

ACT Research says N.A. Classes 5-7 demand, with orders at 35,100 units, rose 28% sequentially and 73% compared to last December. That order volume represents a second-best-ever volume, while the Class 8 net order intake marks the fourth-highest level in history, ACT adds.

FTR says the industry has momentum rolling into 2021, as freight growth is robust, freight rates are elevated and fleet profits keep rising. Consumer-based freight remains vibrant and there are indications that manufacturing activity is finally beginning to accelerate.

Don Ake, vice president of commercial vehicles for FTR commented, “The Class 8 market ended the most challenging year with a bang. To get two back-to-back order months over 50,000 is a stellar accomplishment, after previously seeing orders crater to under 5,000 units in April. Now, 2021 has the potential to be an incredible recovery year. As the economy continues to improve, fleets are showing increasing confidence about business conditions in 2021. Profits are more than sufficient to replace used trucks and freight growth is stimulating expansion demand. Put those dynamics together, and the industry is headed toward a robust year.”

Regarding the medium-duty market, Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst commented, “There is a symbiotic relationship between heavy-duty freight rates and medium-duty demand. Clearly, the shift in consumer spending from experiences to goods has been good for the providers of local trucking services as e-commerce has grown by leaps and bounds during the pandemic.”

You May Also Like

PACCAR TX-12 Pro automated transmission introduced in Kenworth trucks

The new transmission will get its start in the Kenworth T680 and T880 trucks.

PACCAR-TX-12-PRO-automated-transmission

PACCAR has introduced the new TX-12 Pro automated transmission for Class 6-7 and light Class 8 vocational applications. The company says it builds upon the existing PACCAR TX-12 transmission.

Currently, the new transmission is available with select Kenworth Class 8 models, including the T680 and T880 equipped with the PACCAR MX-11 or PACCAR PX-9 engines. Later this year, the transmission will be available in Kenworth Class 6-8 medium duty models, including the T280, T380, and T480 equipped with the PACCAR PX-9 engine.

Class 8 orders strong in February

Even when seasonally adjusted, ACT says preliminary order numbers for February are up 5% over January.

ACT-Class-8-Feb-truck-orders
Kenworth delivers 15-liter natural gas-powered truck to UPS

The truck is equipped with the Cummins X15N, which Kenworth says will meet CARB and EPA Requirements for both 2024 and 2027.

Kenworth-delivers-CNG-truck-to-UPS
ACT Research: 2024 could see trucking recovery

Despite trucking demand remaining weak, ACT Research says imports and international data indicate positive trends in 2024.

ACT-for-hire-index-Jan-24
Navistar progressing toward autonomous hub-to-hub transport

Autonomous truck testing is underway, and the company expects customer pilots to be delivered later this year.

Navistar-Autonomous-partnership-Plus-international-truck

Other Posts

Scania reports 2023 growth in sales, progress on sustainability

The company says sales and performance are increasing as they move toward the goal of electrification, but there are challenges along the way.

SCANIA-Logo-vector
FTR Trucking Conditions Index falls in December

FTR says the drop was mostly due to higher capital cost and a deterioration in freight rates, a trend that could stretch into 2024.

FTR-TCI-december-2023
Fullbay: Repair shop sales and labor rates rose in 2023

A new report shows that counter sales and labor rates rose significantly in 2023 from the previous year.

Fullbay-TMC
ACT Research: Trailer orders dip as cancellations climb

Preliminary data for net trailer orders in January seems to follow a continued softening trend, according to ACT Research.

ACT-Research-Trailer-Net-Orders-down-Cancellations-up-Jan-2024