Trailer orders jump in September as fleets move early on 2027 equipment

U.S. trailer orders surged in September as fleets opened their 2027 buying season early, according to preliminary data from two major equipment forecasters.

ACT Research put preliminary net orders at 42,700 units, up 311% from September 2025 and 75% from August. FTR reported 43,059 units, up 385% year over year and 78% from the prior month, and said it was the highest monthly total since December 2022.

Why the jump looks so large

Both firms stressed that the year-over-year comparison is inflated by a very weak September 2025.

ACT said that once seasonal patterns are taken into account, September orders were 36,700 units, the third-best seasonally adjusted month in the past 55 months, and up less than 9% from August.

"The degree of improvement, however, by historical standards was atypical, continuing the unusual pattern of the 2025-2026 order cycle," said Jennifer McNealy, director of commercial vehicle market research at ACT.

According to ACT, orders that would normally have been placed in September 2025 did not come in until December and January, and order placement has kept building since then.

What's driving demand

ACT said it is hearing four main reasons from the market:

• Customers ordering ahead of tariff-related price increases.
• Healthier long-term profitability for carriers.
• Pent-up demand to replace aging trailers.
• A sharply tighter driver supply.

"It would appear that the switch has been flipped," McNealy said, adding that industry backlogs are expected to rise by around 18,000 units when final data are reported.

FTR pointed to similar factors, including earlier opening of 2027 order books and expected tariff-related price increases. FTR also suggested that the end of the Class 8 truck pre-buy, along with uncertainty while EPA's 2027 NOx rules are finalized, may be shifting some near-term capital spending from tractors to trailers.

FTR senior analyst Dan Moyer was more cautious about the pace. "Overall, the outlook points to stronger trailer demand in 2027, although September's exceptional order pace may not be sustained," he said, pointing to high equipment costs, trade uncertainty, possible supply chain constraints and competing demands on fleet capital.

What it means for fleets

For fleets that have not yet placed 2027 trailer orders, the message from both forecasters is that build slots may fill up. ACT warned that rising prices and an untested domestic supply chain could lead to production constraints, longer queues and delayed deliveries.

Fleets that plan to buy next year may want to get quotes and delivery dates in writing soon. FTR noted that trailer leasing utilization remains high and availability has tightened in some markets, so leasing may not be an easy fallback.

ACT said final September figures will be released later this month and that its preliminary estimate is typically within 5% of the final count.