Class 8 orders improved in August, according to the latest data from FTR Associates.
However, for the third straight month, orders came in at under 20,000 units, pointing towards a lower annualized rate of 244,000 units.
Preliminary figures from FTR show 19,178 Class 8 truck orders in August, an 11% improvement over July and 21% better than last August.
"Class 8 orders for August were generally in line with FTR expectations," said Eric Starks, president of FTR. "While the numbers are significantly better than what we saw at this time last year, they are still noticeably below the build levels posted in July. The build numbers for July were 22,105 units. Thus, with orders only reaching 19,200 units it is highly likely that we will see production levels ease back over the next few months to be more in line with the incoming order rates that have only averaged 18,300 units over the last three months. The September order number will be the one to watch and will tell us if we can expect to see a pickup later in the fourth quarter. If the numbers stay near current levels then we will likely see a flat fourth quarter with regards to production."
