Replacement demand for dry van trailers is continuing said FTR while flatbed demand has begun to take off Photo Sean KilcarrFleet Owner

Trailer orders rebounded in June

July 19, 2017
FTR said orders for trailers reached a nearly two-year high last month, according to its data.

Trailer orders reached 18,900 units in June, according to data tracked by research firm FTR Transportation Intelligence, rebounding from May with a month-over-month improvement of 12% and posting a 58% increase over June 2016 order levels. 

Overall, trailer orders now total 261,000 units for the past twelve months with production rising a “surprisingly” 5% from May primarily for dry van and refrigerated units, noted Don Ake, FTR’s vice president of commercial vehicles.

“The trailer market had a fantastic month in June. Production was the highest since July 2015,” he said in a statement. “Orders did not fall all much from the respectable numbers posted in March and April. Backlogs are dropping, but that’s due to the high build rates rather than lower orders.”

Ake added that medium and small fleets are ordering trailers as the spot freight market remains hot, while larger fleets are taking delivery on orders placed months ago as stronger freight growth starts to occur.

“Replacement demand for dry van [trailers] continues and flatbed demand has begun to take off,” he pointed out. “The trailer market continues to exceed expectations in 2017.”

About the Author

Fleet Owner Staff

Our Editorial Team

Kevin Jones, Editorial Director, Commercial Vehicle Group

Cristina Commendatore, Executive Editor

Scott Achelpohl, Managing Editor 

Josh Fisher, Senior Editor

Catharine Conway, Digital Editor

Eric Van Egeren, Art Director

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of FleetOwner, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

Improve Safety and Reduce Risk with Data from Route Scores

Route Scores help fleets navigate the risk factors they encounter in the lanes they travel, helping to keep costs down.

Celebrating Your Drivers Can Prove to be Rewarding For Your Business

Learn how to jumpstart your driver retention efforts by celebrating your drivers with a thoughtful, uniform-led benefits program by Red Kap®. Uniforms that offer greater comfort...

Guide To Boosting Technician Efficiency

Learn about the bottom line and team building benefits of increasing the efficiency of your technicians in your repair shop.

The Ultimate Trailer Tracking Technology Checklist for Enterprise Fleets

We understand the challenges you face in consolidating inventory, reducing theft, and tracking revenue. That’s why we’ve created the ultimate checklist to help you evaluate your...