Demand for Commercial Vehicles Remained Strong in June

Net orders for commercial vehicles in North America stayed at healthy levels in June, according to ACT Research Co.'s preliminary analysis of the June data.

When the final numbers are released later this month, the Columbus, Ind.-based research firm expects orders for Class 8 vehicles to come in at 21,200 units and orders for Class 5 through 7 vehicles to come in at 14,600 units.

In both the medium- and heavy-duty markets, demand has been increasing since fourth-quarter 2010, the research firm noted.

"June marked the eighth consecutive month of Class 8 orders over 20,000 units," said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst for ACT Research. "This extended period of strong orders has boosted industry backlogs and lead times for delivery."

Vieth added that the backlog for Class 8 vehicles has increased from more than three months to build prior to the start of the current run-up to more than six months at the current rate of build.