According to ACT Research’s latest State of the Industry: U.S. Trailer Report, June net U.S. trailer orders of 25,444 units were 31% higher compared with May and nearly 122% above June 2021 levels.

“Order placement remained choppy in June, with dry van and bulk tank net orders sequentially increasing by double digits and responsible for the total industry uptick. On the other hand, reefers and flats saw double-digit drops compared to May’s net order levels,” Jennifer McNealy, director of commercial vehicle market research and publications at ACT Research, said. “OEMs continue to negotiate with fleets, and as some 2023 orderboards have opened, those efforts are quickly moving from staged/planned orders to booked business.

“While some OEMs have opened part of their 2023 build slots, discussions indicate that others are holding to their plans to wait just a bit longer. Trailer manufacturers continue to face supply-side challenges, material availability and labor, but are now reporting improvements in both.

“Demand remains strong despite increased pricing, and cancelations, although ticking upward, are insignificant, as fleets in queue need the equipment and plan to stay in queue until orders are converted to deliveries. The industry closed June with a 7.6-month backlog-to-build ratio, which commits the industry, on average, into early 2023.”