Preliminary NA Class 8 net orders in April were 15,800 units, while NA Classes 5-7 net orders slid to 19,500 units. Complete industry data for April, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-May. “With backlog ahead of the 12-month build plan, combined with constrained industry production, new orders remain largely subdued,” said Eric Crawford, ACT’s Vice President and Senior Analyst. “Recent commentary from the semiconductor industry is discouraging, with ASML, a key supplier of semiconductor production equipment, pointing to a ‘significant shortage of semiconductor manufacturing capacity this year and next,’ suggesting headwinds to OEM production capacity and by extension, lower-for-longer orders potentially into 2023.”

Regarding the heavy-duty segment, Crawford noted, “With Class 8 backlogs stretching through 2022 and still no clear visibility about the easing of the everything shortage, April’s net orders reflect the ongoing conservative approach by OEMs looking to limit the risk of overbooking and underbuilding that plagued the industry in 2021.” About medium-duty, he said, “Classes 5-7 orders moderated in April, following March’s near all-time level of backlogs.”