Order backlog

July Class 8 orders rise but still trail replacement demand

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Class 8 truck orders in July came in ahead of estimates but are still below replacement demand as...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/july-class-8-orders-rise-but-still-trail-replacement-demand

Wabash reports record Q2 earnings

Trailer and body builder Wabash reported record second-quarter earnings despite lower trailer deliveries and only a modest increase in truck body deliveries.

Highlights included:

  • Quarterly revenue of $686.6 million, up 6.8% from $642.7 million a year ago.
  • Record operating income of $103 million with an operating margin of 15% on strong material margin and favorable product mix.
  • Gross profit of $151 million equaled 22% of sales.
  • Record quarterly earnings per share of $1.54 compared to 46 cents a...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/wabash-reports-record-q2-earnings

Class 8 orders quiet again in June as backlogs fall

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Class 8 truck orders were soft as expected in June with manufacturers offering few build slots until...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/class-8-orders-quiet-again-in-june-as-backlogs-fall

Trailer orders slow in January, suggest a return to normalcy

Trailer orders in January fell back significantly from a huge December. But the numbers suggest a return to normal order patterns after more than two years of disruption.

Manufacturers have plenty of pending orders to build, both trucks and trailers.

“Orders continue to flow in and we still have pent-up demand to fill,” Chris Hammond, executive vice president of sales for Great Dane, told FreightWaves. 

“We are seeing some customers defer ordering in 2023 as the economy begins to slow down as talk...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trailer-orders-slow-in-january-suggest-a-return-to-normalcy

Here’s why truck manufacturers’ current order discipline won’t last

Two blue and one orange Volvo sleeper cabs on a highway

Order-taking discipline by truck manufacturers continued in June, but don’t expect it to become permanent. OEMs depend on making engines, transmissions and aftermarket parts as well as new trucks..

“No one ever got rewarded for not selling trucks,” Kenny Vieth, ACT Research president, told FreightWaves on Wednesday. “Sales have historically been a battle for market share. If I’m vertically integrated, I’m not just selling a truck. I’m selling an engine and a transmission.”

New truck builds are...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/heres-why-truck-manufacturers-current-order-discipline-wont-last

Nikola posts first, albeit tiny, gross profit on electric truck chargers

Aerial view of Nikola plant with solar panels

Nikola Corp. posted its first-ever gross profit in Q1, a milestone for the electric truck maker that also recorded 134 heavily incentivized orders from fleets planning to operate in California.

The startup electric truck maker began regular production of its battery-electric Class 8 Tre BEV cabover on March 21. Nikola shipped 11 trucks at the end of April to dealers to fulfill customer orders.

Forty preproduction trucks built in Q1 are being used by dealers as demonstration units. Univar Solutions

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/nikola-posts-first-albeit-tiny-gross-profit-on-electric-truck-chargers

Hold that line: January trailer orders sync to bulging backlogs

Trailer orders in January stabilized to keep bulging backlogs from growing further as the ongoing supply chain crisis and COVID-related worker absences prevented meaningful production improvement.

“OEMs continue to carefully manage their order intake in an effort to control the length of their production commitments,” said Frank Maly, ACT Research director of commercial vehicle transportation analysis and research.

ACT pegged January preliminary volume at 26,100 net orders, in line with the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/hold-that-line-january-trailer-orders-sync-to-bulging-backlogs

Supply chain weakness hits January Class 8 truck orders

Class 8 truck orders fell in January as manufacturers matched orders to what they could produce while avoiding further swelling of their backlogs.

A lack of visibility into supply chain bottlenecks makes caution the common theme among OEMs. Most are focused on finishing and shipping red-tagged trucks that piled up in inventory in 2021. Demand for new trucks far outstrips supply, a condition unfamiliar to an industry where the opposite is most often true.

Watch now: Recapping 2021 Class 8 truck...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/supply-chain-weakness-hits-january-class-8-truck-orders

How carriers can keep their fleets running into 2022

This year has been characterized by severely strained capacity and historically high rates. This environment has caused some stress for carriers, highlighting ongoing issues such as the driver shortage and new truck backlogs. It has also given carriers the opportunity to keep their trucks loaded around the clock and cash in big for an extended period of time. Now, carriers should start planning ahead for potential market turns in 2022.

Seasonal surges typically affect various sectors at...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-carriers-can-keep-their-fleets-running-into-2022

Truck order cancellations spike, but not for lack of demand

Anecdotal reports of Class 8 truck orders being canceled started gaining currency in October. Now, the statistics are bearing out the stories. Manufacturer-spiked orders for the past two months are the highest in more than a quarter of a century.

“Between this month’s cancellations and the restatement of October’s volume, we have to go all the way back to Q3 1995 to find a month, or two, to rival current cancellation volumes,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research.

The...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truck-order-cancellations-spike-but-not-for-lack-of-demand

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