Preliminary net trailer orders in December were up nearly 13,400 units from November’s 11,900-unit level, a 112% month-to-month increase, according to ACT Research preliminary Net Trailer Order Activity. At 25,300 units booked in December, order intake was almost 5% above December 2024’s level. Seasonal adjustment (SA) at this point in the annual order cycle lowers the monthly tally to 18,600 units. Final December trailer industry data will be available later this month. This preliminary order estimate is typically within ±5% of the final order tally.

“Sequentially, a slight uptick in net orders was expected, as December is usually the second strongest order month of the annual cycle,” said Jennifer McNealy, Director CV Market Research & Publications at ACT Research. “That said, preliminary data showed new vehicle demand for power units jolt awake in December, and those same factors of a firmer economic foundation, December’s weather-induced spike in freight rates, increasingly aged fleets, and some level of tariff-related clarity are also in play for trailing equipment demand.”

McNealy concluded, “December’s tally brings the Q4 net order total to 53.4k units and closes 2025 with 172.1k units of trailing equipment ordered, about 6% more trailers than were requested in 2024. While a better year than 2024, concerns about the level of economic activity that drives transportation demand, still-weak, although improving, for-hire carrier profitability, and uncertainty about future government policies remain as challenges to stronger trailer demand in the near term.”

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.