FTR Reports September Preliminary Class 8 Orders Hold Firm in a Weak Market
10.06.16 | FTR

FTR releases preliminary Class 8 net orders for September at 13,800 units, right in line with expectations and down a slight 2% versus August. However, this was the worst month of September since 2009 and orders were down 27% from a year ago. Class 8 orders for the last 12 months have totaled 201,000 units.
Click here to view the latest release and an interactive graph of the Class 8 Orders >
Don Ake, Vice President of Commercial Vehicles at FTR, commented, “The truck market continued to stay weak through September, but this was highly expected considering the slower industry conditions and overall seasonal trends. Fleets are cautious due to an uncertain economy and slow freight growth. Class 8 inventories also remain high and this also restrains new orders.”
“The October orders will still be a critical sign for 2017. Large fleets are expected to begin ordering replacement units for 2017. If the economy does improve and the trucking outlook brightens, then medium-sized fleets and others should feel confident enough to order also in coming months. This would put the market near replacement levels in 2017.”

For more than two decades, FTR has been the thought leader in freight transportation forecasting in North America. The company’s national award-winning forecasters collect and analyze all data likely to impact freight movement, issuing consistently reliable reports for trucking, rail, and intermodal transportation, as well as providing demand analysis for commercial vehicle and railcar. FTR’s forecasting and specially designed reports have resulted in advanced planning and cost-savings for companies throughout the transportation sector.
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