The supply of Class 8 trucks continues to rise faster than demand for trucks according to the most recent ACT For-Hire Trucking Index from ACT Research Co., LLC (ACT).

“The capacity index [supply] rose faster than the freight index [demand] for the fourth consecutive month and the tenth time in the past twelve months in December,” said Steve Tam, ACT’s vice president, commercial vehicle sector. “We have to go back to the second half of 2012 to find a comparable period of imbalance – a period marked by anemic economic growth and strong U.S. Class 8 retail sales.” Tam said, “Truckers have caught on to the fact that there is excess freight hauling capacity in the market and have started curtailing their purchases accordingly. Sales are likely to continue on a downward trajectory until the oversupply of trucks is consumed.”

ACT is the worldwide 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, as well as the banking and investment community in North America, Europe and China.