Preliminary North American Class 8 net orders in June were 25,700 units, up 11% from May and 61% higher than June 2020, according to ACT Research. Preliminary North American Classes 5-7 net orders reached 22,800 units, down 12% from May but up 26% compared with June 2020. Complete industry data for June, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-July.

“With 2021 backlogs essentially filled and 2022 order activity remaining calendar constrained, North American Classes 5-8 orders in June moved sideways from May,” Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research, said. “We reiterate that order moderation aligns with expectations, driven by the supply of open build slots in 2021 and not fully opened 2022 orderbooks, rather than any material fall-off in demand for equipment.”

Regarding the heavy-duty market, Vieth said, “With orders below recent activity, the three and six-month net order SAARs continued to moderate but remain at still-robust run rate levels. June’s Classes 5-7 net orders slowed in a still-supportive vehicle demand environment, with three and six-month SAARs remaining elevated.”