Final North American Class 8 net orders totaled 9,463 units in June, down 35% y/y, as published in ACT Research’s latest State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 report.

“Weak fundamentals, current regressive trade policy and uncertainty over the ever-changing carousel of new tariff rates/deadlines impede decision making,” said to Carter Vieth, Research Analyst at ACT Research. “The pain is especially pronounced in the for-hire market, as we’ve now entered the 13th quarter of freight recession in that market segment.”

“Fleets are cash strapped, and with tariffs raising the cost of equipment and impacting goods demand, fleets either can’t afford new equipment or have little need for it. Consequently, tractor orders were down 42% y/y. Vocational orders were down 23% y/y, as equipment price increases, regulatory uncertainty and softness in housing and private construction have greatly reduced demand for vocational equipment,” he continued.

Regarding medium duty, Vieth added, “Total Classes 5-7 orders fell 40% y/y to 12,387 units. MD orders have slowed across the past six months, as current bloated inventories and a weaker economic outlook weigh on new orders.”

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.