Sales and orders for new trucks continue their decline in August

U.S. sales of new, Class 8 trucks declined for the third consecutive month in August, according to data received from Omdia, formerly Wards Intelligence (omdia.tech.informa.com).

Manufacturers reported sales of 17,876 units, down 5.1% from July’s 18,838 and 13.5% lower than sales of 20,671 in August 2024. For 2025 to date, sales are running 7.1% behind the 2024 pace with that gap widening each month and expected to continue.

August, typically a so-so month for truck orders as manufacturers begin taking orders for the next model year, was rather subdued this time around.

“On the tractor front, carrier profitability remains under pressure, inching closer to year four of the for-hire market downturn,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research (actresearch.net). “The group of publicly traded truckload carrier’s aggregated margins in Q2 were near 2008 recession levels, and the frontloading of goods ahead of tariffs in 1H of this year elevates the risk of a freight air pocket into the end of 2025.”

Of the new trucks sold, a smaller percentage has been vocational trucks destined for use in the concrete, dump, trash and other industries. Vieth said that rescinding EPA standards due to go into effect for the 2027 model year effectively stopped pre-buying to beat the price increases. Freezing of funds destined for infrastructure projects contributed to the buying slowdown, as did softness in the housing and construction markets.

Inventories also impacted truck sales as manufacturers and dealers struggle to move near record numbers of unsold trucks. Manufacturing backlogs, trucks that have been ordered but are yet to be built, are at their lowest level in five years. With orders slowing and large numbers of unsold trucks, manufacturers are understandably reluctant to increase production.

High inventory levels plagued the used tractor market in August, too. ACT reported a 14% increase in the number of trucks moved in August compared with July and an 8% increase over sales in August 2024. Even with increased sales, however, the average price of a used truck fell by 5% while the average mileage fell by one percent. The price fall was unusual for this time of year, according to ACT Research Vice President Steve Tam.

“Like volumes, prices also experience seasonal fluctuations,” he explained. “August’s decline was counter to expectations, which called for about an 8% gain.”

New Class 8 trucks sold on the North American market ended August at 13,000, according to FTR Transportation Intelligence (ftrintel.com). That number was up 4% from July but lags behind August 2024 orders by 14%. It was the eighth consecutive month of truck orders declining from the same month of 2024.

For perspective, the 10-year average for North American Class 8 truck orders in August is 23,135, according to FTR. August 2025’s 13,000 falls well short of that average.

ACT Research reported even fewer truck orders, coming in at 12,800.

“Even with the caveat that August is a seasonally weak order month, just ahead of next year’s orderboards opening, this months tractor orders were notably weak but in line with the trend since April,” said Carter Vieth, ACT research analyst. “Current tariff and regulatory purgatory continue to sow industry uncertainty.”

Analyst reports for orders and sales often differ due to which manufacturers report to them. Smaller, industry-specific builders that supply the military or special truck markets often don’t report their sales publicly.

Trailer manufacturers didn’t have it any better in August. At many carriers, the useful life of a trailer is much longer than that of a tractor due to fewer moving parts and the lack of a powertrain. Carriers who are experiencing budgetary difficulties usually find it easier to keep their oldest trailers for another year than to do so with their tractors, although extending the lives of both categories is common in these economic conditions.

“As the industry remains in the weaker months of the annual order cycle, build again outpaced orders in August,” remarked Jennifer McNealy, director of CV market research and publications at ACT Research. “At this point, muted intake continues to be expected until policies and pricing are more transparent and carrier profitability sustainably increases.”

McNealy noted that trailer build was about double the number of orders placed, putting the trailer industry with about a 3.6 month backlog-to-build ratio.

Fifty-percent tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper have increased build costs significantly. Howeever, manufacturers were able to purchase some supply before the tariffs went into effect.

The cost of both tractors and trailers is still expected to rise. Moving of production from foreign plants to facilities located within the U.S. may help manufacturers avoid some tariffs, but they’ll also avoid the cheaper costs for construction, labor and transportation they benefit from by locating their plants in other countries.

In August, Freightliner reported sales of 6,347 Class 8 trucks on the U.S. market, an increase of 14.7% over July. They and International were the only two OEMs to report sales increases for the month. In Freightliner’s case, July was their lowest sales month of the year, so much of the August bounty, and the July low point, may simply be a matter of delivery dates. Freightliner sales of 51,844 Class 8 trucks for the year through August runs 7.7% behind its 2024 pace.

Mack and Western Star are the only two builders to be ahead of last year’s sales pace. Mack Truck reported 1,505 sales in August, down a precipitous 21.0% from July. With 11,998 sold year-to-date, the company is still 11.8% ahead of its 2024 pace.

Western Star sits 11.1% ahead of its 2024 pace with sales of 7,880 so far this year. In August, however, sales of 916 were 13.3% behind July sales of 1,056.

International sales of 2,391 bested July sales by 3.6%. For 2025, the company is just 0.7% behind last year’s pace.

Volvo’s August ran 19.9% behind its July pace, and for the year is 22.5% behind its 2024 pace.

Kenworth and Peterbilt, the PACCAR builders, together are about 10% behind last year’s pace.

Expect sales to continue their decline for the rest of the year.

Cliff Abbott is an experienced commercial vehicle driver and owner-operator who still holds a CDL in his home state of Alabama. In nearly 40 years in trucking, he’s been an instructor and trainer and has managed safety and recruiting operations for several carriers. Having never lost his love of the road, Cliff has written a book and hundreds of songs and has been writing for The Trucker for more than a decade.

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