US Trailer Orders Hit Four Months of Year-Over-Year Gains
Volume Increases 17% to 9,000 Units
Key Takeaways:
- Higher August net order intake was expected, ACT Research says.
- Economic activity, ongoing weak for-hire carrier profitability remain as challenges.
- Dry van trailer production surged in the pandemic era, creating current overcapacity.
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U.S. trailer orders reached four consecutive months of year-over-year gains in August, ACT Research reported. Preliminary net data showed an increase of 7% to 9,000 units. The latest volume, which follows a choppier start to the year, also was up 3% sequentially from July. The seasonally adjusted result at this point in the annual order cycle resulted in a favorable increase to 13,200 units.
“Sequentially, higher August net order intake was expected, as the annual cycle begins to move toward stronger order months at the end of Q3 when the industry begins opening next year’s order boards,” said , director of commercial vehicle market research for ACT. “August’s tally brings the year-to-date net order total to 109,800 units, about 23% better than the same eight-month order intake of 2024.”
McNealy warned that continued moderating economic activity, ongoing weak for-hire carrier profitability and ambiguous policy shifts remain as challenges to stronger trailer demand. She expects subdued build and lackluster order intake levels the rest of the year given the uncertainty.
“Our order intake has continuously weakened all summer long, and the weakest month this summer was August,” said Steve Bennett, president and chief operating officer at Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. “I do believe that rates are so stubbornly low, dry freight rates, reefer rates and flatbed rates, that it’s just very difficult for our customers to justify the purchase of new equipment. The business horizon is very cloudy, and so, people are not making decisions.”
[September State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers Preliminary Update] - Preliminary Net Trailer Order Activity in August Closely Mirrors July
Read more from the preliminary update here: — ACT Research (@actresearch)
Bennett expects this to have the most impact on his dry freight van products. He noted that pandemic-era demand drove a surge in the number of dry van trailers that eventually became too much when freight volumes declined.
“There was an exceedingly large volume of dry freight vans produced,” Bennett said. “Everybody in the industry was producing as many as we could, and backlogs were out 18 months. We definitely, as an industry, overproduced dry vans, and as a result, there’s a lot out there that are parked from coast to coast with not great utilization.”
He added that there have been exceptions to these slowing conditions with its trailer dealers seeing demand in the used market. Utility also has been able to gain ground when it comes to specialty trailers, as well as private fleets. These lanes don’t always follow how the general freight market is trending, though he credits his sales team as well.
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“Our sales force, while sales of new trailers from Utility are very low, they’re still staying active with selling used trailers and also selling specialty trailers, so that’s a bright spot,” Bennett said. “Our guys are staying busy, selling fuel tankers or dump trailers or tippers or hoppers, these different types of products.”
FTR Transportation Intelligence preliminary data showed a 3% increase year over year to 7,261 units but a 4% decline month to month. This was driven by freight weakness, tariff pressures and pricing uncertainty continuing to weigh on demand. The report noted that orders remain well below the 10-year average for August.
“With builds continuing to outpace new orders, OEMs face mounting pressure to balance production against a thinning pipeline,” said Dan Moyer, senior analyst of commercial vehicles at FTR. “Unless order activity strengthens with the opening of 2026 order boards, the industry may confront additional headwinds heading into next year.”
Moyer added that tariffs are producing costs, tighter margins and increased risk of consolidation for trailer manufacturers and their suppliers, though he said the larger and integrated companies are more resilient than the smaller firms.
“Many fleets are delaying replacements, relying more on used trailers and curbing expansion,” Moyer said. “The 2026 order season may start later than September for some OEMs with subdued bookings as policy uncertainty and structurally higher costs weigh on demand.”
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ITS Logistics announced the addition of thousands of trailers to its DropFleet network Sept. 18. The service helps shippers handle dynamic and time-sensitive demand through streamlined trailer pools and yard management. The expansion is aimed at supporting its customer base amid an evolving supply chain with a focus on proprietary network optimization technology and fraud prevention strategies.
“Peak season looks a lot different this year,” said Josh Allen, chief commercial officer at ITS Logistics. “But shippers still have their forecasts. They know they need to deliver on time and reliably, regardless of unexpected shifts. The scalability of a hybrid capacity solution offers that balance of guaranteed capacity, cost effectiveness and a go-anywhere ability.”
