December Class 8 preliminary orders surge

December preliminary net orders of heavy-duty Class 8 commercial vehicles for North American markets were 25,500 units, according to ACT Research Co. The December total is an increase of 115% compared with December 2009. Preliminary net order numbers are subject to revision and are typically accurate to within 5% plus or minus.

“The industry closed 2010 with a string of three strong months of net orders. With nearly 71,000 orders booked, the fourth quarter was the best quarter for Class 8 vehicles since the second quarter of 2006,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst. “The ramp up in demand is consistent with the upcycle we have been forecasting for over a year and confirms production levels will increase significantly in 2011.”