According to ACT Research, North American Class 8 orders ended 2017 by rising to a 37-month high of 37,500-plus units. Strong orders since September boosted Class 8 backlogs, setting the stage for a healthy uptick in Class 8 production in 2018.

“The U.S. market was the primary driver of December’s Class 8 order strength, with orders climbing 127% [year-over-year], even as cancellations remained negligible.” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst, who also explained that tractor sleepers led the charge, jumping 260%.

“The inability of carriers to find drivers, the inflection in freight volumes, hurricanes and the strongest holiday shopping season since 2010 have conspired to create a capacity shortfall that has destabilized the trucking industry’s supply/demand balance,” Vieth said.

Regarding the medium duty markets, Vieth explained that in the time Class 8 has gone from peak to trough to peak, the medium duty market has remained a model of consistency, with December orders up 2.2% year-over-year.