U.S. trailer orders in January decreased by 9% YoY to 24,300. Although demand remains strong and cancellations are low, some orders are being made to replenish dealer stock rather than going directly to fleet customers. Fleet customers are businesses that purchase a large number of trailers for their fleet, while dealer customers are individual buyers. Fleets are continuing to order for replacement, and some are also ordering units for growth, although growth demand has recently waned. The private carrier and specialized trailers businesses have seen strong demand due to high pent-up demand, while the for-hire carrier side has seen steady demand as fleets work to retain a decent fleet age. While pundits are talking about things slowing down, there has not yet been a decline in orders on the order board. Read more here.
Wolf, Connor D. “January Net Trailer Orders Drop 58% Following Year-End Surge.” Transport Topics, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.ttnews.com/articles/january-net-trailer-orders-drop-58-following-year-end-surge.