Every trailer category posted month over month order gains in August, according to the most recent update on industry performance reported in the State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers published by ACT Research Co. (ACT). Net orders of 15,780 units were up 24% from July making August the best order month since April.
 
“Despite better orders, August ended with a backlog that was down 7% month over month and 13% below one year ago,” said Frank Maly, Director-CV Transportation with ACT Research. “While all of the month-over-month decline was seasonal, the industry is now at the lowest backlog-to-build ratio since January 2010, suggesting increased downwards pressure on build rates. While we expect minimal change in production rates over the next few months, orders beyond Q3 will be the key determinant of build in Q4.”