Trailer orders continue to slide in July
FTR reports that preliminary trailer orders continue to slide to the bottom of this cycle, registering only 8,200 units in July 32% below June and -58% year-over-year. Trailers orders for the past twelve months now total 354,000. Dry and refrigerated van orders remained paltry, FTR adds, as OEMs are booked full for 2021 and not
ATRI-developed assessment tool used to ID safe, younger drivers
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released the results of the Phase 1 Beta Test of its Younger Driver Assessment Tool. This is the second in a series of technical memoranda from ATRI exploring the potential for an assessment tool to identify the safest drivers among 18- to 20-year-olds. ATRI says its beta test
A Foundation for Future ADAS Technology
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)is ramping up efforts to bring new safety technology to the trucking industry. Their “Tech-Celerate Now” initiative has been in the works since 2019 and seeks to promote the addition of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) on heavy trucks. The FMCSA is specifically pushing for automatic emergency braking, air
June trailer orders up compared to May, down year-over-year
According to reports from both ACT Research and FTR, trailer orders in June improved over May but were down compared to June of last year. ACT’s preliminary reports show that trailer OEMs posted 11,100 net orders in June, 20% above May orders, but 19% below the same point last year. “While the sequential increase in
Class 8 orders should rise in coming months
In the release of its Commercial Vehicle Dealer Digest, ACT Research reported that North American Class 8 net orders were soft in May, as full 2021 backlogs and as-yet (fully) opened 2022 order books constrained activity. The report, which combines ACT’s proprietary data analysis from a wide variety of industry sources, paints a comprehensive picture
Seven steps to fleet safety
Years of rising insurance premiums have pushed fleet operators to their limits, with many insurance carriers mitigating costs through dramatically increased deductibles and reduced coverage, according to the American Transportation Research Institute. Yet, a growing number of carriers are reining in insurance spending – without taking on excess liability – by leveraging advanced fleet safety
Production constraints challenging trailer OEMs
According to this quarter’s issue of ACT Research’s Trailer Components Report, trailer orders were preliminarily lower for April, and meaningfully so. “Lower orders will be the result of dry van and reefer orderboards that commit most OEMs through the remainder of this year and well into the next,” said Frank Maly, director–commercial vehicle transportation analysis
April trailer orders less than half of March; volume up more than 160% YTD
Preliminary reports from trailer OEMs indicate that 14,400 new trailer orders were booked in April, which was 52% lower than March, but a staggering 3600% above the dramatically COVID-impacted volume for the same month last year, according to ACT Research. “Given the dramatic market impact of COVID shutdowns that occurred at this point last year,
The return of the medium-duty market: Where will vocational trends go when the market booms?
It’s often hard to tell, in the moment, the difference between a passing fad and a trend that’s here to stay. Those Beanie Babies people hoarded in the late ’90s didn’t end up paying for anybody’s college education, and despite all the hype, Bitcoin has not exactly deposed the U.S. dollar as our go-to trusted
Class 8 orders remain strong in April
FTR reports preliminary North American Class 8 net orders for April were 34,600 units, continuing to exhibit strength above normal trends. It was the best April order activity since 2018. Orders were down 15% m/m but 30,500 units above April 2020. Class 8 orders now total 403,000 units for the previous 12 months, FTR says.
