Freight Transportation Research (FTR) has reported continued growth in North American Class 8 heavy-duty truck orders for October 2018, standing at 43,000 units.
According to the FTR, October surpassed the 40,000 benchmark for the eighth month in a row, setting a new record.
The figures for October were the tenth best ever, said FTR, adding that it was 2 percent more than September 2018 and 19 percent more than a year ago. North American Class 8 orders for the past 12 months have now totalled 504,000 units.
As fleets operators continue to order a record number of trucks, freight volumes are also expected to be healthy well into the second half of 2019, keeping capacity utilisation at extremely high levels for an extended period, added FTR.
Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial vehicles, explained: “October is traditionally the start of the next year’s order season, so to see strong numbers now is not surprising. But ordering for 2019 began in July with back-to-back record months. For orders to still be this hefty in October after that is remarkable.
“Fleets want to make sure they have access to new trucks, as the growing economy continues to stretch capacity. They continue to place a record number of orders to ensure they will have the trucks needed if freight levels keep growing.”
The Class 8 truck is a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating exceeding 14.97 tonnes. These include tractor trailer units, typical five-axle tractor-trailer combinations and specialised trailers.
ftrintel.com
