According to ACT Research’s recently released Transportation Digest. the top line on the Class 8 tractor dashboard was unchanged in June, marking the fourth month of moderately downbeat readings.

“Our interpretation is a gradual erosion for Class 8 market demand in the second half but no ‘spiral down’ and certainly not a ‘cliff event’,” Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst for ACT Research, said. “With talk of recession in the air, we think the dashboard reading, while negative, still suggests a better outcome for Class 8 than was the case in our last two recessions (COVID 2020 and the 2008-2009 Great Recession).

“Looking at the components that comprise the index, we did see some very modest improvement in the freight-related metrics, with two categories exiting negative territory into neutral. However, ‘positive’ readings were cut in half in June, with just two of 15 variables in positive territory. Combined with six indicators in negative territory, the dashboard stood at -4 for a third consecutive month. For readers who are new to this framework or want a refresh, we believe that the dashboard offers a three- to six-month forward-looking window into conditions in the U.S. tractor market.”