August Class 8 orders remain strong
FTR has released preliminary data showing August 2014 North American Class 8 truck net orders at 24,947 units, a year-over-year increase of 29%. FTR notes that Class 8 orders have now had 19 consecutive months with year-over-year increases. August orders, while helped somewhat by summer dealer incentive programs, were the strongest for the month since
Less-than-ideal environment for shippers conditions to continue
FTR’s Shippers Conditions Index (SCI) for June improved a point from the previous month to a reading of -6.5. The improvement may be short lived; however, as FTR forecasts the index to fall back again in July and, moving forward through the end of the year, settling in a range similar to or lower than May.
Positive movement for trucking conditions in June
In the August issue of FTR’s Trucking Update, FTR reported that its Trucking Conditions Index showed some positive upward movement in June after moderating slightly during the prior two months. FTR said that the June reading of 7.64 reflects an environment in which carriers are gaining market power but rates are struggling to keep up
New and used truck sales are up
ACT Research reported that used Class 8 trucks sales rose in March, 8% above February’s volume. According to Steve Tam, vice president-commercial vehicle sector with ACT, “The volume gain was expected, since sales usually gain through March or April before slowing for the summer months.” Healthy used truck sales have usually been a reliable indicator
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Class 8 net orders finish 2011 with a strong December
December Class 8 truck total net orders for all major North American OEMs reached the second highest level in three years, at 29,777 units. Class 8 orders for the final three months of 2011 annualize to 312,000 units.
Freightliner ‘Slice of Life’ drivers see improved MPG
Drivers in the second season of Freightliner’s “Trucks Slice of Life” TV program reported fuel efficiency gains. In the program, three owner-operators were each given a 2010 Freightliner Cascadia equipped with a 2010 Detroit Diesel DD15 engine featuring BlueTec emissions technology.
Western Star introduces two new suspension options
The company’s Neway 60,000-lb. capacity AD 260 Tandem air suspension system is available for all Western Star truck models utilizing Dana D60-190 axles, while its 40,000-lb. TufTrac All Wheel Drive high-performance vocational suspension is also available as an option for the Western Star 4800 with 40,000-lb. axles.
Economic indicators
New trailer builds are up 74% in July, truck tonnage has risen by 7.4%, and truck makers are hiring again. These are all signs of an uptick in business that should have us breathing a sigh of relief, but some are hesitant. At the recent Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference held by the Heavy Duty Manufacturers
Trailer tracking systems and route optimization
Vehicle tracking solutions provide actual vehicle position and route history