heavy-duty truck, class 8--Heavy-Duty Truck Orders Continue To Rise

Net orders for heavy-duty Class 8 commercial vehicles increased 84% in May 2010 compared to the same month last year, according to ACT Research Co. (ACT), the Columbus, Ind.-based independent analyst of truck and other commercial vehicle markets. In its latest State of the Industry: Classes 5-8 Vehicles, ACT reported 13,231 net orders of Class 8 vehicles. Over half of the orders are scheduled for delivery in the third quarter, indicating truck fleets are looking to get new units on the road before the peak fall shipping season. May net orders of medium-duty Classes 5-7 equipment grew by 33% from May 2009, boosting year-to-date growth to 18%. However, with continued weakness in the residential housing market and tightening state budgets, the medium-duty sector has not shown the same level of rebound as the heavy-duty sector.