Class 8 Orders in July Reach All-Time High of 52,400

[kscarbel2]

Transport Topics  /  August 2, 2018

Class 8 orders in July set an all-time monthly high and soared past 52,000 as the crush continues.

Orders hit 52,400, based on a preliminary figure that will be adjusted when final data is out.

The previous record was 52,194 set in March 2006.

“July’s activity was nearly triple that of July 2017,” an analyst said.

A year earlier, orders were 18,726.

“The feat is made even more spectacular since July typically is the weakest order intake month of the year,” he said.

Orders in the first seven months are nearly 222,000.

One analyst pointed to the activity among dealers trying to stock up.

“The [truck makers] are opening up their production schedules for next year, and the strength in orders is coming from dealers as they are preparing for a strong 2019 and have been frozen out of build schedules for this year — over 90% of the orders in June were for 2019,” Credit Suisse analyst Jamie Cook wrote in a note.

At the same time, carriers are posting record profit margin as the broader environment for the trucking industry remains strong, she said.

[Lmackattack]

I thought there was a driver shortage? but they are building them in record numbers?

Or are these steering wheel holders just wrecking them faster than they can build em?

[kscarbel2]

The driver shortage is fiction, to jack up rates and profits over the summer.

Look at lumber. It shot up in June under the excuse of a truck (driver) shortage. But in fact there hasn't been a supply shortage because truck shipments have been adequate. Now watch lumber prices will fall back down by the end of this month. This is how the lumber distributors make extra money.