According to preliminary reports from ACT Research, original equipment manufacturers posted 11,100 net trailer orders in June, which was 20% greater than orders from May but 19% below orders from June 2020. This preliminary market estimate should be within 5% of the final order tally.

“While the sequential increase in net orders was certainly welcome, a full response to actual fleet demand would have generated higher order volumes. Some OEMs, due to their extended backlogs, continue to be unwilling to book meaningful order volumes at this time,” Frank Maly, director of commercial vehicle transportation analysis and research at ACT Research, said. “June’s negative year-over-year comparison for net orders was the first since May 2020, the tail-end of last spring’s COVID-depressed order activity. These preliminary results point to a backlog that still extends into late Q1 of next year on average, with dry van and reefer backlogs extending into Q2 of 2022 at current production rates. While total production did improve last month, the gains came from additional days in the production schedule. Preliminary analysis indicates OEMs were not able to achieve any significant increase in build rates during the month, as headwinds from material and component supplies, as well as staffing challenges, continue.”