Preliminary NA Class 8 net orders in April were 33,500 units, down 16 percent from March, but a whopping 689 percent higher than April of last year’s COVID-19-stricken intake. NA Classes 5-7 demand, with orders at 27,300 units, slipped 15 percent from March. Demand in this segment also enjoyed an easy year-ago comparison, besting April 2020 by 269 percent. Complete industry data for April, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-May.

“For the past several months, we have been counting down the remaining open Class 8 build slots in 2021. For that exercise, we use three numbers: year-to-date Class 8 build, the Class 8 backlog analysis from ACT’s State of the Industry report and a materials-shortage-constrained 2021 forecast,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s President and Senior Analyst. “We start with that preamble to highlight that it is not a surprise that Class 8 orders fell to their lowest level since September and that the decline was strictly driven by the supply of open build slots in 2021, rather than a change in new equipment demand.”

Regarding the heavy-duty market, Vieth said, “While orders moderated in April, the three- and six-month net order SAARs highlight the strength of demand, at 472,000 and 488,000, respectively.” He noted, “Like Class 8, April’s Classes 5-7 net orders moderated, even as activity remained at high levels.”

ACT’s State of the Industry: Classes 5-8 Vehicles 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.