Preliminary North America Class 8 net order data show the industry booked 22,100 units in October, up 74 percent from September, while Classes 5-7 orders fell 12 percent month over month, to 16,400 units, ACT Research reported.

“The North American commercial vehicle industry kicked-off ‘order season’ in an encouraging fashion, with preliminary order activity rising to a six-month high in October,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s President and Senior Analyst. “Class 8 orders were the star of October, rising to an 11-month high. While freight market conditions remain weak, the market is arguably benefiting from a substantive change in the ‘must-have’ tractor spec: AMT, ADAS, and superior fuel economy are considerations to offset weakness in the top-line.”

Regarding the medium duty market, Vieth explained, “The fade that started in medium-duty orders during the summer lingered into the start of Q4, and if the preliminary order read stands as printed, October will represent a 40-month order low.”

Note that these numbers are preliminary. Complete industry data for October, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-November.