Preliminary Class 8 orders up 68% y/y in July

July saw North America Class 8 net orders climb 68% year over year to a preliminary figure of 22,100 units – an increase Carter Vieth, research analyst at ACT Research, attributed to “easy comps and improved trucking fundamentals.” However, orders actually fell 30% month over month on a seasonally adjusted basis.

“The sizable month-over-month decline doesn’t reflect a sudden drop in demand for new equipment but indicates a lack of 2026 build slots available as orders run up against full Class 8 backlogs, something we flagged as a possibility earlier this year,” he explained. “Lack of EPA clarity, at least until the end of August, may also be impacting orders, as OEMs and customers both await finality regarding regulations/penalties/pricing before 2027 order boards open.”

Regarding medium duty, Vieth said preliminary Classes 5-7 orders in July came in at 18,3000 units, a 41% increase year over year. “On a seasonally adjusted basis, medium-duty orders have remained north of 20,000-unit levels the past three months,” he added, “a sizable improvement from the 16,000-unit level at the beginning of 2026.”

Complete industry data for July, including final order numbers, will be published in mid-August in ACT Research’s State of the Industry: Classes 5-8 Vehicles report, a monthly look at the current production, sales, and general state of the on-road heavy and medium duty commercial vehicle markets in North America.