Class 8 Truck Orders Highest in 12 Years

​According to FTR Transportation Intelligence, orders of Class 8 trucks – the heavy-duty trucks that commonly carry goods between cities – reached 133,900 for the first quarter of 2018. The orders represent a 98.4% increase from the first quarter of 2017 and the highest level of orders since 2006.

​Solid economic fundamentals and recent tax policy encouraged investment to meet increasing freight demand. In fact, DAT Solutions, which tracks available loads to trucks on the spot market, noted that its load board increased 27% from February to March while the number of trucks available increased just 14%. The recent growth in truck orders has pushed the backlog of truck manufacturers to nearly three-year highs, according to ACT Research.