February preliminary North America Class 8 net orders were 18,300 units, down 34% y/y. Complete industry data for February, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-March.

“After the strong end to 2024, the past two months have largely been defined by trade and economic policy uncertainty, as the new administration has thrown a wrench into business planning,” shared Carter Vieth, Research Analyst at ACT Research. “Whether the slowdown in orders is a result of moderating economic activity or a response to the newfound uncertainty remains an open question. In February, Class 8 orders dropped 34% y/y to MD Prelim NO 3-4-2518,300 units. Seasonally adjusted, Class 8 orders fell 28% from January to 16,700 units (198k SAAR), the lowest SA reading in almost two years.”

Regarding medium duty, he added, “MD Classes 5-7 orders continued their slowly deflating trajectory into still historically elevated (if less so) truck and bus backlogs. ACT's preliminary look at February NA Classes 5-7 orders puts the month's volume at 17,100 orders, down 11% y/y.”

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. It differentiates market indicators by Class 5, Classes 6-7 chassis and Class 8 trucks and tractors, detailing activity-related 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.