Preliminary net orders for North American Class 8 trucks fell 31% in July compared to June, totaling 22,000 units, according to data from FTR. The July figure was still up 75% from the same month a year earlier.
FTR senior analyst Dan Moyer said the pullback reflects a market where calendar-year 2026 production is essentially sold out, shifting industry attention toward decisions on 2027 model year engines, pricing and build timing. Almost all 2027 model year engines are expected to carry manufacturer upcharges tied to the Environmental Protection Agency's 2027 nitrogen oxide emissions rule, though EPA's proposed revisions to that rule, published July 14, would give truck and engine manufacturers more flexibility in complying.
Through July, net orders for 2026 were up 120% compared with the same period in 2025. Orders for the current order season, which FTR measures from September 2025 through July 2026, were up 39% year over year. Class 8 orders totaled 344,823 units over the trailing 12 months.
Moyer said replacement demand, firmer freight rates, improving equipment utilization and moderate pre-buy activity ahead of anticipated emissions changes continue to support the market, but most 2026 production is already committed and manufacturers have not yet opened order boards for 2027, constraining available build slots. He said the next phase of the order cycle will depend more on production capacity than on underlying demand.
Source: The Trucker -- https://www.thetrucker.com/trucking-news/business/ftr-preliminary-north-american-class-8-net-orders-down-31-in-july