VIEW CART (FTR Reports Preliminary U.S. Net Trailer Orders for September Exploded to 52,000 Units, The Third Highest Month on Record
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FTR reports that preliminary U.S. net trailer orders for September exploded to the third-highest month ever, at 52,000 units. September’s orders were 23,500 units above August and 33,400 more than September 2019. With this latest activity, trailer orders for the last twelve months now equal 224,100 units.
The great majority of the September orders were for dry vans. Refrigerated van orders were also comparatively robust. Flatbed orders are expected to continue their sluggish recovery. Backlogs are predicted to jump back up to December 2019 levels. The strong order totals from the last two months should push production up to pre-pandemic levels in Q4, with more increases expected, starting early next year.
The Congressional stimulus package infused a tremendous amount of funds into the economy. This cash is being spent overwhelmingly in the consumer goods sector, as the service sector remains constrained during the pandemic. This has boosted dry van freight, constraining capacity, and lifting freight rates. Fleets have responded by ordering dry vans in near-record quantities. Also, despite reduced restaurant sales, many consumers have more disposable income available to spend on food, which is helping reefer sales.
Click here to view the latest release and an interactive graph of the Trailer Orders >
To contact FTR, send an email to [email protected] or call (888) 988-1699 ext. 1 and follow us on Twitter @FTRintel.
The full trailer data is available as part of FTR's North American Truck & Trailer Outlook service.Click here to view a sample report >
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