July preliminary North America Class 8 net orders of 22.1k units increased 68% year over year. Complete industry data for July, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-August.
“Class 8 preliminary orders in July totaled 22,100 units, up 68% Y/Y on easy comps and improved trucking fundamentals, but down 30% M/M on a seasonally adjusted basis,” Carter Vieth, research analyst at ACT Research, said. “The sizable M/M decline doesn’t reflect a sudden drop in demand for new equipment but indicates a lack of 2026 build slots available as orders run up against full Class 8 backlogs, something we flagged as a possibility earlier this year. Lack of EPA clarity, at least until the end of August, may also be impacting orders, as OEMs and customers both await finality regarding regulations/penalties/pricing before 2027 orderboards open.”
Regarding medium duty, he added, “Preliminary Classes 5-7 orders rose 41% Y/Y to 18,300 units in July. On a seasonally adjusted basis, medium-duty orders have remained north of 20,000-unit levels the past three months, a sizable improvement from the 16,000-unit level at the beginning of 2026.”
