Big Rigs · Nationwide · October 23, 2026

Trailer Orders Jump 385% as Class 8 Truck Orders Send Mixed Signals

Green semi truck pulling a new white van trailer through a factory yard filled with rows of new trailers under a blue sky

Fleets ordered more trailers in September than in any month since 2022. Orders for new heavy trucks, though, are harder to read.

U.S. trailer net orders reached 43,059 units in September, up 78% from August and 385% from a year earlier, according to FTR Transportation Intelligence, as reported by FreightWaves. FTR said it was the highest total since December 2022. ACT Research counted 42,700 U.S. trailer orders, up 311% from a year earlier.

Why fleets are buying trailers

FTR said September's orders reflected substantial pent-up demand to replace older trailers after a long stretch of weak equipment buying. It said 2027 trailer order books opened earlier than usual, and that expectations of more tariff-related price increases may be pushing carriers to buy sooner.

FTR also suggested that the end of the Class 8 pre-buy cycle, along with uncertainty over the Environmental Protection Agency's 2027 nitrogen oxide emissions requirements, may be shifting some fleet spending from trucks to trailers. Class 8 is the heaviest truck class, which includes the tractors that pull 18-wheelers.

"Rising quote activity and more requests for proposals indicate that fleets are becoming increasingly active in equipment planning," said Dan Moyer, senior analyst for commercial vehicles at FTR.

Two very different truck numbers

The two research firms do not agree on Class 8 truck orders:

FTR: 21,300 preliminary net orders in September, up 18% from August and up 3% from a year earlier.
ACT Research: 19,172 final orders, down 7% from a year earlier and down 15% from August on a seasonally adjusted basis.

FreightWaves says both firms pointed to uncertainty about the EPA's 2027 emissions rules and truck pricing as factors in fleet buying decisions.

Medium-duty trucks held up better. ACT reported 20,297 orders for Class 5 through 7 trucks, up 27% from a year earlier. ACT said that demand may be getting a boost from dealers stocking up ahead of expected rule changes and higher equipment prices in 2027.