FTR reports that U.S. trailer net orders jumped in December, hitting a new monthly record of 56,949 units, which barely eclipsed the previous record set in October 2020. Order activity for the month was up an astounding 121% versus December 2021.

Backlog levels returned above 200,000 units with an increase of another 17% with the surge in orders. December build was down another 8% m/m but was up 17% y/y. Build output was on the low end of the range of recent activity, but adjusting for holiday downtime would eliminate most of the gap. Lower build and a jump in end-of-year factory shipments caused the inventory levels to drop by 18% m/m.

Jonathan Starks, FTR's chief executive officer and chief intelligence officer, commented, “The surge in orders is unlikely to be sustained going forward, and we have already seen strong moderation in Class 8 orders. However, we have now seen more than 347,000 orders placed over the last 12 months, and backlogs are at their highest level in nearly two years. 2023 is starting on solid footing even as the macro uncertainty remains extremely elevated.”