Trailer industry orders softened in May. Given that orders in May have fallen below April volumes in ten of the past 12 years, the decline was anticipated. That they fell as far as they did – down 23% month over month on a seasonally adjusted basis – is a reflection of the current soft patch in commercial vehicle demand. This update on industry performance was reported in the latest State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers published by ACT Research Co. (ACT).
 
“Production rose 5% month over month, although on a per day basis, build was virtually unchanged from April,” said Frank Maly, Director-CV Transportation with ACT Research. “The combination of soft orders and rising production caused industry backlogs to fall, dropping 5% from April to 111,953 units in May. The backlog typically falls this time of year, so May’s results were expected. While down from April, May’s backlog remains at a healthy level. ” he added.