After September’s all-time net order record, volume softened only a small degree in October, with volumes ranked as the second-best month in industry history at more than 55,000 trailers entering the orderboard, according to this month’s issue of ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailer Report.

“Six of 10 trailer categories posted month-over-month gains, while eight of ten were up year-over-year and year-to-date,” said Frank Maly, director–CV Transportation Analysis and Research at ACT Research. “The impact of a string of solid order months is responsible for that solid year-to-date performance, with six of the best ten order months in industry history occurring in the last year and four of those in this calendar year.

“While total trailer net orders are up 56% year-to-date, industry performance is being led by reefers, up more than 138% through October. And, this strength has now returned the trailer/tractor net order ratio to the middle of the industry’s normal range, with a backlog that is now the highest it’s been since February of 1995.”