Final North American Class 8 net orders totaled 42,684 units in December, up 16% year over year, as published in ACT Research’s latest State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 report.
“December’s massive 408k SAAR underscores its outlier performance, as for all of 2025, just 224k Class 8 orders were placed. Given carrier margins remained thin into the end of 2025, the sudden swing certainly overstates demand,” Carter Vieth, research analyst at ACT Research, said.
“There are several factors we think drove the surge. For starters, the Total Cl5-7 Net Orders December 2025economy, supported by AI and wealthy households, continues to outperform expectations, with GDP rising 4.3% in Q3. Crucially for trucking, consumer spending remains robust,” he continued. “On top of the firmer economic footing going into 2026, spot rates surged through November/December, helped on by weather and quickening capacity contraction. Lastly, the ATA announcement regarding EPA’27 added much needed regulatory clarity and likely drove some decision making in December.”
Regarding medium duty, Vieth added, “Total Classes 5-7 orders rose 20% Y/Y to 20,126 units. Having gradually slowed in 2025 on tariffs and low consumer sentiment, December’s improvement is likely a reflection of continued consumer spending strength, cautious optimism surrounding IEEPA tariffs, and some regulation-driven dealer stocking.”
