Preliminary reports show net trailer orders in May were 18,300 units, down about 7 percent from the previous month, but up a significant 111 percent from May last year, according to ACT Research. Final May results will be available later this month.

“Seasonal patterns call for a sequential decline in net orders in May, and preliminary reports indicate that volumes met those expectations. Just as dry vans were responsible for April’s dramatically lower bookings, they were the buttress for May’s year-over-year increase,” said Jennifer McNealy, Director CV Market Research & Publications at ACT Research. “We continue to believe there is reluctance to push the orderboard horizon into next year, as OEMs continue to closely control order acceptance. That said, active negotiations, the calendar inching toward a 2023 opening, and new capacity scheduled to come online in the near future could explain this month’s preliminary report. It’s also worth mentioning that last year’s May net orders represented the lowest monthly volume since the COVID-impacted months of 2020.”

ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report provides a monthly review of the current U.S. trailer market statistics, as well as trailer OEM build plans and market indicators divided by all major trailer types, including backlogs, build, inventory, new orders, cancellations, net orders and factory shipments.