Tire Business - U.S. truck orders hit 5-year high

From Tire Business.com
Staff Report

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COLUMBUS, Ind. (April 7, 2011) — Orders for class 8 commercial vehicles in the U.S. more than doubled in March from a year ago to their highest level in nearly five years, according to preliminary data compiled by Americas Commercial Transportation Research Co. L.L.C. (ACT).

Net orders in March hit 29,200 units, ACT said, a gain of 159 percent from March 2010, putting the industry on a pace to exceed 300,000 units this year. Preliminary order numbers are subject to revision and are typically accurate to within 5 percent plus or minus, ACT added.

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“With the uptrend firmly established, the question for 2011 is now the industry’s ability to meet demand, instead of whether demand would rise to expectations,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT president and senior analyst. “History shows that production always chases demand at the beginning of the cycle. Unlike orders, the industry needs to work in unison to raise production.”

The growth in truck orders comes on top of higher demand for commercial trailers, ACT said.

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