According to this month’s issue of ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report, with the majority of 2025 in the rearview mirror, the US trailer market remains in “stay afloat” mode, as fleets continue their wait-and-see strategy.

“With lower build rates insufficient to offset soft orders in September, the industry backlog-to-build ratio fell 30 basis points sequentially, to 3.3 months,” said Jennifer McNealy, Director–CV Market Research & Publications at ACT Research. “September’s build rate and the current backlog commit the industry into the start of 2026.”

“Cancelations started to escalate in February and have remained elevated relative to backlog since. September’s rate, as a percentage of backlog, was 5.6%, both overstated and the highest rate since May 2020,” McNealy continued. “Data continued to show high dry van cancelations, with reefers and the tank segments also elevated. Per OEMs, cancelation activity is primarily from dealers, as they work to control stock against a backdrop of uncertainty and cost concerns.”

ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report provides a monthly review of the current US trailer market statistics, as well as trailer OEM build plans and market indicators divided by all major trailer types, including backlogs, build, inventory, new orders, cancellations, net orders, and factory shipments. It is accompanied by a database that gives historical information from 1996 to the present, as well as a ready-to-use graph packet, to allow organizations in the trailer production supply chain, and those following the investment value of trailers, trailer OEMs and suppliers to better understand the market.