Preliminary North American Class 8 truck orders fell sharply in October, and two research firms tied the slowdown to unsettled federal emissions rules for 2027 model-year equipment.
FTR Transportation Intelligence estimated 15,600 Class 8 net orders for the month, a decline of 36% from a year earlier and 24% from September. The figure was nearly 50% below the 10-year October average of 31,089 orders. ACT Research put October orders at 13,500 units, down 45% year over year. October is normally a strong month for orders because fleets use it to plan the following year's equipment purchases.
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed changes to its 2027 nitrogen oxide emissions regulations earlier this year, but the final requirements have not been settled. According to FTR, some truck makers that have opened 2027 order boards may be holding back production slots or final pricing until the rules are clear. Under the proposed framework, FTR estimated that nonconformance penalties could add $6,000 to $7,000 per engine if passed on to buyers, compared with an estimated premium of $8,000 to $12,000 for fully compliant engines.
Carriers are also contending with higher diesel, insurance and labor costs. "Fleet capital spending priorities may be shifting toward trailers rather than tractors in the near term," said Dan Moyer, FTR's senior analyst for commercial vehicles. ACT Research reported that preliminary U.S. trailer orders rose 311% year over year in September to 42,700 units, a comparison inflated by weak orders in September 2025.
Other segments showed different trends. FTR counted 278,201 year-to-date Class 8 orders, up 74% from 2025, and ACT reported 18,000 medium-duty orders in October, up 14% from a year earlier. Final October figures are expected in mid-November.
Source: Heavy Duty Trucking -- https://www.truckinginfo.com/news/epa-2027-uncertainty-slows-truck-orders