According to ACT Research’s (ACT) latest State of the Industry: Classes 5-8 Report, parts of the freight economy may be flashing the occasional “green shoot,” but it is not completely clear whether the industry has reached the nadir of the current freight cycle.
Topics: freight, logistics, Press Releases, class 5-8 trucks, class 8 trucks, commercial truck report, supply chain, medium duty truck, commercial vehicle sales data, truck market, truck freight, north american trucking, class 8 truck, american truck and trailer, commercial truck and trailer, transportation industry news, trucking, HeavyDuty, heavy duty truck, class8
According to ACT Research’s (ACT) latest release of the North American Commercial Vehicle OUTLOOK, the primary risk to all vehicle market forecasts, and the US economy broadly, in either direction, remains the trade war with China. With US manufacturers and farmers struggling to compete on the tilted global playing field, the key driver of growth in the mid-term outlook is the US consumer, who remains well positioned to keep the economy out of the ditch.
Topics: freight, transportation, logistics, shipping, Classes 5-8, Economy, NA CV OUTLOOK, Press Releases, class 5-8 trucks, class 8 trucks, commercial truck report, supply chain, medium duty truck, commercial vehicle sales data, truck market, north american trucking, class 8 truck, american truck and trailer, commercial truck and trailer, transportation industry news, trucking, demand planning, commercial freight shipping, trailer production, HeavyDuty, Economics, semitruck, heavy duty truck, GDP
According to ACT’s latest release of the North American Commercial Vehicle OUTLOOK, expectations for the Class 8 and trailer markets anticipate an accelerating pullback in build rates, as freight market conditions remain at a low ebb. While less cliff-like, medium duty market indicators continue to support a modest correction into 2020.
Topics: shipping, Classes 5-8, Economy, NA CV OUTLOOK, Press Releases, class 5-8 trucks, class 8 trucks, commercial truck report, supply chain, medium duty truck, commercial vehicle sales data, truck market, truck freight, north american trucking, class 8 truck, american truck and trailer, commercial truck and trailer, transportation industry news, trucking, intermodal, demand planning, us freight, commercial freight shipping, freight rates, HeavyDuty, Economics, semitruck, heavy duty truck, GDP
Used Class 8 same dealer sales volumes returned to a downward trajectory in September, falling 5% m/m and erasing a portion of August’s 9% improvement, according to the latest release of the State of the Industry: U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Trucks, published by ACT Research. Longer term, sales dropped 18% y/y and 19% ytd. The report also indicated used Class 8 average miles increased month-over-month, up 5%, and were unchanged year-to-date, while average age fell 3% compared to August but rose 4% on a year-to-date basis. Average price also shed 3% m/m, while growing 6% ytd.
Topics: Press Releases, Used Trucks, class 8 trucks, commercial truck report, commercial vehicle sales data, truck market, truck freight, north american trucking, class 8 truck, american truck and trailer, commercial truck and trailer, class trucks for sale, used commercial truck, used truck values commercial
Preliminary used Class 8 volumes (same dealer sales) fell 5% month-over-month in September, according to the latest preliminary release of the State of the Industry: U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Trucks published by ACT Research. Additionally, the report indicated that longer-term comparisons yielded a 17% decline compared to September 2018, as well as a year-to-date drop of 19%, the 11th consecutive contraction for both time period comparisons.
Topics: transportation, Press Releases, Used Trucks, class 8 trucks, commercial truck report, north american trucking, class 8 truck, transportation industry news, class trucks for sale, used commercial truck, trucking, used truck values commercial, semitruck, heavy duty truck
Understanding the current commercial vehicle market is pertinent for so many businesses, but not everyone has the time to read a lengthy report on the state of the markets. Commercial vehicle and transportation business leaders need information for sales projections, budgeting and additional reasons. That is why ACT Research developed the Transportation Digest, a monthly high-level overview of transportation trends, equipment markets, and the economy as a whole. This report includes information relative to for-hire, trucking, intermodal, and various truck class trends. Designed with busy executives and business owners in mind, the Transportation Digest covers all the major industry news and trends, including a market outlook, all in the convenience of a quick, easy to read report.
Topics: transportation, logistics, shipping, Classes 5-8, class 5-8 trucks, class 8 trucks, commercial truck report, medium duty truck, commercial vehicle sales data, truck market, north american trucking, american truck and trailer, commercial truck and trailer, trucking, heavy duty truck
The average price of total used Class 8 trucks in August dipped 1% y/y, the first such decline since January 2018. Month-over-month, prices fell 3%, but longer-term, remained 7% higher year-to-date. Same-dealer sales rose 9% in August compared to July, but contracted 19% versus the first eight months of 2018, according to the latest release of the State of the Industry: U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Trucks, published by ACT Research. The report also indicated used Class 8 average miles increased slightly month-over-month, up 2%, and were down 1% year-to-date, while average age rose 1% compared to July and 4% on a year-to-date basis.
The report from ACT provides data on the average selling price, miles, and age based on a sample of industry trucking data. In addition, the report provides the average selling price for top-selling Class 8 truck models for each of the major truck OEMs – Freightliner (Daimler); Kenworth and Peterbilt (Paccar); International (Navistar); and Volvo and Mack (Volvo). This report is utilized by those throughout the industry, including commercial vehicle dealers, to gain a better understanding of the used truck market, especially as it relates to changes in near-term performance.
“Dealers are reporting that used truck sales are not in the tank, but the prices for trucks have fallen and inventories are growing,” said Steve Tam, Vice President at ACT Research. He continued, “This is not unexpected, as sales of new trucks have been barreling along, leading to many trade trucks coming to dealers.” Tam concluded, “With lower truck values and growing inventories, many dealers have become much more conservative about what they will pay for trade-ins, while the rapid decrease in used truck values has caught some customers by surprise, as customers became used to receiving more for trucks in the last two years than what is normal.”
ACT Research is recognized as the leading publisher of commercial vehicle truck, trailer, and bus industry data, market analysis and forecasts for the North America and China markets. ACT’s analytical services are used by all major North American truck and trailer manufacturers and their suppliers, as well as banking and investment companies. ACT Research is a contributor to the Blue Chip Economic Indicators and a member of the Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Panel. ACT Research executives have received peer recognition, including election to the Board of Directors of the National Association for Business Economics, appointment as Consulting Economist to the National Private Truck Council, and the Lawrence R. Klein Award for Blue Chip Economic Indicators’ Most Accurate Economic Forecast over a four-year period. ACT Research senior staff members have earned accolades including Chicago Federal Reserve Automotive Outlook Symposium Best Overall Forecast, Wall Street Journal Top Economic Outlook, and USA Today Top 10 Economic Forecasters. More information can be found at www.actresearch.net.
Topics: transportation, Used Trucks, class 5-8 trucks, class 8 trucks, commercial truck report
New US trailer orders of 14.8k were up 7% month-over-month, and after accounting for cancellations, net orders of 10.6k hit their second sequential increase in nine months, rising 2% from July, but down 72% compared to August of 2018. Year-to-date, however, net trailer orders are 51% below last year, according to this month’s issue of ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailer Report.
Topics: freight, transportation, Trailers, Press Releases, commercial truck report
Frank Maly gave an update on the U.S. trailer market in a presentation at Seminar 61 on August 13th, 2019. Reviewing the market Frank discussed ACT's trailer database, year-over-year sales (as of the presentation), the impact of 2018 on the current market and much more. The U.S. trailers market is reviewed in more detail in ACT's State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report, a monthly look at the current sales, production, and general state of the market.
Topics: freight, freight forecast, freight rate, transportation, logistics, shipping, Classes 5-8, class 5-8 trucks, class 8 trucks, commercial truck report, supply chain
Trucks are only beneficial if you have a trailer to move the freight. To continue to understand the entirety of the commercial vehicle market, you can't only understand heavy duty and medium duty truck production, or used truck sales, you also need an understanding of the scope of the trailer market. ACT Research produces a State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report for this very purpose. The report is a monthly report to review the current U.S. Trailer Market Statistics and U.S. Trailer Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEMs) Build Plans.
Topics: freight, freight forecast, freight rate, transportation, logistics, shipping, Classes 5-8, class 5-8 trucks, class 8 trucks, commercial truck report, supply chain