ACT Research this week reported a strong kick off to the order season for Final North American Class 8 orders in September. Orders totaled 37,100 last month, and while the top line was respectable, the underlying numbers point to a divided market with softness in tractors and considerable strength in vocational, according to the latest State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 report.

“Tractor orders were down 32% year over year at 17,000 units, as a weak for-hire market weighs down capital budgets," said Kenny Vieth, ACT president and senior analyst. "Vocational orders surged in September to 20,000 units and were up 71% year over year. With production capacity constrained in recent years, lingering pent-up demand and string end markets — still-plentiful stimulus money from CHIPS, IRA, IIJA projects, construction in Mexico and utility investments — provide strong tailwinds in vocational.”

Vieth added that Class 8 backlog rose 10,600 units month over month in September to 116,034.

"Despite orders outpacing build for only the second time this year, the backlog-to-build ratio remained unchanged at 4.2 months on a nominal basis," he said.