Preliminary North America Class 8 net order data show the industry booked 10,900 units in August, up nearly 6 percent from July, but 79 percent below last August’s best-ever order month, ACT Research reported.

“Weak freight market and rate conditions and a still-large Class 8 backlog continue to bedevil new Class 8 order traffic. Though, with OEMs opening their new model-year order books, order weakness is increasingly the story of an overcapacitized Class 8 fleet, as truckers start to make their plans for 2020,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s President and Senior Analyst. “August is typically a weak order month. Seasonal adjustment boosts the month’s intake to 12,500 units, a narrower 2.8 percent month-to-month improvement.”

Regarding the medium duty market, Vieth explained, “If the weakness in the Class 8 market is a reflection of broad softness in freight-intensive economic sectors, the modest downturn in Classes 5-7 order activity is more reflective of the still-healthy consumer economy in much of North America. Though, after a seven-year positive run and some inventory building, the MD is looking increasingly tired. In August, NA Classes 5-7 net orders were 18,800 units, up 10 percent from July, but down 22 percent year over year.”

Note that these numbers are preliminary. Complete industry data for August, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-September.