FTR reports preliminary trailer orders for February are at 32,000 units – that is a 24% increase from the same time a year ago.
While down 20% month over month, the February activity was the fifth consecutive month that trailer orders exceeded 30,000 units, according to FTR. And if the preliminary numbers hold, it will be a record February for trailer orders.
Orders dropped from the huge volumes of the past three months but remain historically high. Backlogs should rise above 170,000 units for the first time since early in 2016.
“The trailer market remains red-hot,” noted Don Ake, FTR vice president of Commercial Vehicles. “Fleets are scrambling to add capacity and are ordering large numbers of trucks and trailers. Most of these orders are for the second half of the year.
“This is good news for the economy and the industry in that carriers expect the solid freight demand to last throughout 2018,” he added. “The economy is vibrant and producing freight growth across all sectors, which is boosting all segments of trailers and resulting in record order months.”
