Class 8 net orders started 2014 with a high-side surprise, up 9% m/m and” 51% y/y; Classes 5-7 also got off to a good start with orders up 14% m/m and 33% y/y. This updated status of the North America commercial vehicle market was included in the State of the Industry report, recently released by ACT Research Co. (ACT). The report covers Classes 5 through 8 vehicles for the North American market.

“While orders were strong, one has to read between the lines to appreciate Class 8 retail sales in January. Thanks to year-ending tax and sales incentives, Class 8 retail sales posted a sharp drop in January from December. But this is the case every year,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research Co., LLC. “However, applying seasonal adjustment gives a better picture: Adjusted Class 8 sales rose 9% m/m to a 22-month high. Strong orders pushed backlogs to a 22-month high and the backlog/build ratio jumped to 4.9 months.”

“For medium duty, all of January’s sequential order strength and most of the y/y improvement came from the heavier end of the market, Classes 6-7. Broken down by vehicle type, trucks accounted for virtually all of the sequential order increase,” Vieth said.

ACT is the 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 U.S. tractor-trailer market and the China CV market. ACT’s CV services are used by all major North American truck and trailer manufacturers and their suppliers, and worldwide banking and investment companies.