N.A. Class 8 net orders were above 20,000 units for a sixth consecutive month in March, but fell below February’s intake. Classes 5-7 net orders were down month over month and year over year. The final numbers, which will be released mid-April, will approach 22,100 units for heavy duty Class 8 and 15,200 for medium duty Classes 5-7 vehicles and trucks. The preliminary net order numbers are typically accurate to within 5% of actual.

“While down month over month, March’s Class 8 net orders were up 10% year over year and were the fourth best in the past thirteen months,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst, ACT Research. “For medium duty, the tough year-over-year comparisons mask an otherwise solid order month. March’s medium duty order volume was the fourth best in the past 20 months. Historically, March has been the second strongest order month of the year for MD vehicles.”

Vieth added that orders continue to track generally in line with expectations underlying the MD and HD forecasts in ACT’s NA Commercial Vehicle Outlook report. As such, when the April Outlook report is released next week (10th), expectations for 2013 should be basically unchanged from the past several months.
 
ACT is the recognized leading publisher of new and used commercial vehicle (CV) industry data, market analysis and forecasting services for the North American market, as well as the China CV market.