Final North American Class 8 net orders totaled 36.8k units in December, on very strong tractor demand, as published in ACT Research’s latest State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 report.
“Despite generationally weak profits in for-hire, large fleets still need to replenish existing/aging equipment, and with the defensive assumption that EPA’s Clean Truck regulation will go ahead as is at the start of 2027, private fleets, who crucially have the budget, are likely continuing to focus on fleet age ahead of the large price increase expected for tractors,” according to Kenny Vieth, ACT’s President and Senior Analyst.
“Vocational truck orders totaled a healthy 8.1k units. While additional production capacity that came online in late 2024 likely satiated some demand, and with higher interest rates in 2025 potentially cooling demand slightly, we remain firm in our belief that 2025 will be the best year for vocational truck demand since 2006,” he added.
Regarding medium duty, Vieth added, “Total Classes 5-7 orders decreased 40% y/y to 16.8k units. Orders slowed in the last quarter of 2024, as near record-high inventories and a stagnant sales trend weigh on medium-duty truck demand levels.”
State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 Report Overview
ACT’s State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 report provides a monthly look at the current production, sales, and general state of the on-road heavy and medium duty commercial vehicle markets in North America. It differentiates market indicators by Class 5, Classes 6-7 chassis and Class 8 trucks and tractors, detailing measures such as backlog, build, inventory, new orders, cancellations, net orders, and retail sales. Additionally, Class 5 and Classes 6-7 are segmented by trucks, buses, RVs, and step van configurations, while Class 8 is segmented by trucks and tractors with and without sleeper cabs. This report includes a six-month industry build plan, backlog timing analysis, historical data from 1996 to the present in spreadsheet format, and a ready-to-use graph package. A first-look at preliminary net orders is also published in conjunction with this report.
ACT Research Overview
ACT Research is recognized as the leading publisher of commercial vehicle truck, trailer, and bus industry data, market analysis and forecasts for the North America and China markets. ACT’s analytical services are used by all major North American truck and trailer manufacturers and their suppliers, as well as banking and investment companies. ACT Research is a contributor to the Blue Chip Economic Indicators and a member of the Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Panel. ACT Research executives have received peer recognition, including election to the Board of Directors of the National Association for Business Economics, appointment as Consulting Economist to the National Private Truck Council, and the Lawrence R. Klein Award for Blue Chip Economic Indicators’ Most Accurate Economic Forecast over a four-year period. ACT Research senior staff members have earned accolades including Chicago Federal Reserve Automotive Outlook Symposium Best Overall Forecast, Wall Street Journal Top Economic Outlook, and USA Today Top 10 Economic Forecasters. More information can be found at www.actresearch.net.
Additional Resources
December preliminary North America Class 8 net orders were 36,500 units, slipping 2.1% m/m but up 39% y/y. Complete industry data for December, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-January.
“Strength continues to be the applicable descriptor of Class 8 order activity as the industry looks to 2025. In December, Class 8 orders were in line, slipping 2.1% m/m to 36,500 units,” shared Kenny Vieth, ACT’s President and Senior Analyst. He continued, “While down from November, orders were up nearly 39% compared to last December’s performance. With the largest seasonal factor of the year, seasonal adjustment is always unkind in December. On a seasonally adjusted basis, Class 8 orders fell 15% from November to 29,700 units, and a 356k SAAR.”
Regarding medium duty, he added, “MD Classes 5-7 orders continue their consistent, if slowly deflating, trajectory into still historically elevated truck and bus backlogs. Preliminary December NA Classes 5-7 orders fell 40% y/y to 16,800 units, down 300 units or -1.9% from November and the third weakest net order tally of 2024.”
Class 8:
Net Orders: 36.8k
Vocational Truck Orders: 8.1k
Classes 5-7:
Net Orders: 16.8k
Click here to learn more information about ACT's State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 Vehicles data.
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