Net Orders for Commercial Vehicles Beat Expectations in September

September net orders for heavy- and medium-duty trucks in North America improved month-over-month beyond expectations, according to preliminary data from ACT Research Co.

The final numbers, which will be released later this month, will approach 23,800 units for heavy-duty Class 8 trucks and 13,800 units for medium-duty Class 5-7 vehicles, according to ACT Research.

Both vehicle categories also posted positive year-over-year gains, according to the Columbus, Ind.-based market-analysis firm.

"The strength in orders is indicative of healthy underlying fundamentals in the heavy-truck market," said Kenny Vieth, ACT's president and senior analyst. "Fleet equipment is old, trucker profitability is good and used truck values are strong. Barring an economic collapse, these factors should support continued strength in Class 8 orders."

The preliminary net order numbers are typically accurate to within 5% of the final data, according to ACT.