FTR reported preliminary March trailer orders at 27,500, which reflect a typical seasonal decline from February, down 16 percent.  However, orders were historically strong with order activity at the highest level for the month of March since 2014 and up 34 percent from March 2017. The order volume should increase backlogs slightly as build rates are expected to increase in the coming months. Trailer orders have totaled 328,000 for the past 12 months.

“Even as orders decline, this remains a stout month of orders for the trailer industry,” Don Ake, FTR Vice President of Commercial Vehicles, commented. “Some dry van OEMs are running out of 2018 production slots, so we should see orders take their typical swoon in the summer months. However, the amount of orders already placed has created a substantial backlog, which will create another stellar year for the trailer industry.”

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