Trailer orders rebounded in June

Trailer orders reached 18,900 units in June, according to data tracked by research firm FTR Transportation Intelligence, rebounding from May with a month-over-month improvement of 12% and posting a 58% increase over June 2016 order levels.

Overall, trailer orders now total 261,000 units for the past twelve months with production rising a “surprisingly” 5% from May primarily for dry van and refrigerated units, noted Don Ake, FTR's vice president of commercial vehicles.

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Report: State laws need changing to support platooning, AVs

One of the hurdles facing the wider deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs) as well as efforts to develop platooning strategies for cars and commercial trucks alike are what's being called “outdated state laws,” according to a read more

ATRI updates its sustainable freight practices compendium

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has updated the compendium of sustainable freight practices on its website.

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Purkeys offers handheld PM tool for heavy-duty fleets

Having good electrical testing equipment is crucial for maintaining a vehicle's electrical system—but portability and weight can be an obstacle for testing equipment. Purkeys announced its Handheld Electrical Analyzer allows technicians to test the electrical systems of heavy-duty vehicles from the palms of their hands.

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Future Line opens new manufacturing facility

Future Line Manufacturing, headquartered in Cedar Rapids, IA, announced the opening of its latest manufacturing facility.

The 18,000-sq.-ft. facility is designed and equipped to manufacture Future Line's expanding line of aluminum truck bodies. The new faculty is the fourth expansion, the 22-year old company noted.

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Truckstop.com Taps Perry as Chief Economist

Noël Perry Photo via FTR

FTR and Truckstop.com have announced that Noël Perry, a partner at FTR, will lead the economic analysis for Truckstop.com, assuming the role of chief economist for the load board and technology company.

Perry specializes in risk analysis in the transportation market and focuses on the underlying fundamentals of transport demand, operations, and competition. He will continue his industry analysis with FTR as one of its experts on transportation economics and as lead author of FTR's State of Freight Insights.

“The expanded relationship between FTR and Truckstop.com opens the door for even further insights into how trucking is evolving,” said Eric Starks, CEO of FTR. “This expanded partnership will give all of us, including those in the freight marketplace, a better understanding of how the dynamic relationship between supply and demand is affecting pricing and profitability.”

FTR and Truckstop.com have partnered to provide spot market analysis through Trans4Cast.com, which provides insights on spot market conditions, including rates, market pressure, and historical trending for freight transportation professionals.

Related: FTR: The Economics of 33' Trailers Only Benefit a Few Markets

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Trailer Orders Jump 12% In June

Photo: Stoughton

The final net trailer order numbers for the month of June have been published by FTR, showing a 12% increase from the previous month.

Net trailer orders totaled 18,900 units for the month, jumping 58% compared to June of last year. The June activity was above FTR's expectations with most segments of the market exceeding their May totals.

“The trailer market had a fantastic month in June. Production was the highest since July 2015,” said Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial vehicles. “Orders did not fall all much from the respectable numbers posted in March and April. Backlogs are dropping, but that's due to the high build rates rather than lower orders.”

Trailer orders have totaled 261,000 units over the past 12 months. Production rose 5% over May, primarily in the dry and refrigerated van sector, reducing backlog by 6%.

“Medium and small fleets are ordering trailers as the spot freight market remains hot. Large fleets are taking delivery on orders placed months ago, as the expected stronger freight growth starts to happen,” said Ake. “Replacement demand for dry vans continues and flatbed demand has begun to take off. The trailer market continues to exceed expectations in 2017.”

Related: Trailers are Smarter Than Ever

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