North American fleets sharply elevated orders for brand spanking new heavy-duty vehicles in February, signaling strengthening demand throughout the freight market.
Preliminary knowledge from FTR Transportation Intelligence reveals Class 8 web orders totaled 47,200 models in February, up 47% from January and 159% yr over yr.
The determine represents the best month-to-month order complete since September 2022 and the third consecutive month of year-over-year development above 20%, in response to FTR’s month-to-month report.
The February complete was additionally far above the 10-year February common of 24,991 models, reflecting a surge in each on-highway and vocational truck demand. Over the previous 12 months, orders have totaled about 258,466 models, the FTR report stated.
Analysts stated the most recent numbers recommend the truck gear market could also be getting into the early levels of a restoration following a protracted freight downturn.
“Whereas a portion of demand nonetheless displays beforehand deferred substitute purchases reentering the market, the consistency and breadth of latest order exercise recommend momentum is now being pushed extra meaningfully by bettering freight fundamentals,” stated Dan Moyer, senior analyst for business automobiles at FTR, stated in a information launch.
Moyer famous that rising freight volumes and stronger price expectations are encouraging fleets to advance capital spending plans, whereas improved readability round tariff-adjusted pricing and upcoming emissions laws has lowered uncertainty round gear purchases.
Associated: Truck orders rebound in January, however restoration stays uneven
ACT Analysis reported comparable outcomes, estimating February North American Class 8 orders at 46,200 models, up 156% yr over yr.
The report ranked February because the eighth-strongest order month in additional than 530 months of business knowledge, in response to ACT Analysis analyst Carter Vieth.
“With onerous EPA’27 value will increase on the horizon, an growing older fleet, and rising confidence that the winter run-up in freight charges will stay sticky, Class 8 order power continued in February,” Vieth stated in a assertion.
Vieth stated greater anticipated prices tied to the upcoming EPA 2027 emissions requirements, mixed with bettering service profitability and rising spot freight charges since late November, have inspired sellers and enormous fleets to speed up gear purchases.
“Sellers and enormous fleets have even larger incentive to search out the finances for gear now fairly than later,” Vieth stated. “Arguably, an important issue to the order turnaround has been the sustained run-up in spot charges that began in late November.”
The chart in ACT’s report reveals February orders climbing to 46,200 models with a 156% year-over-year enhance, marking a pointy turnaround after weaker order volumes by way of a lot of 2025.
Medium-duty vehicles noticed extra modest good points. ACT Analysis reported Class 5-7 orders totaled 17,400 models in February, up 6.7% yr over yr, although analysts famous the rise partly displays weak comparisons with early 2025 demand.
Regardless of the sturdy February outcomes, analysts cautioned that dangers stay for the truck market, together with excessive financing prices, geopolitical uncertainty and potential tariff or regulatory adjustments.
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