Final North American Class 8 net orders totaled 22,562 units in July, up 71% year-over-year but down 29% month-over-month on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to ACT Research’s latest State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 report. The sequential decline reflects not a drop in demand, but the impact of full 2026 build slots, with remaining production capacity for the year oversubscribed by 35,000 units.
“Robust demand for new equipment continues, supported by improved spot and contract rates, as evidenced by the recent earnings strength among publicly traded truckload carriers,” Carter Vieth, research analyst at ACT Research, said. “While ongoing EPA uncertainty could influence the coming order ramp, carrier profitability is rising quickly and freight conditions are improving across the board.”
