Net orders for heavy-duty Class 8 commercial vehicles reached the highest level of the year in June, posting an increase of 93 percent compared to June of 2009, according to ACT Research Co., which analyzes the market for trucks and other commercial vehicles.

In the latest release of the State of the Industry: Classes 5-8 Vehicles, ACT reported 15,999 net orders of Class 8 vehicles, an increase of 21 percent over May of this year. Net orders of medium-duty Classes 5-7 equipment also rebounded in June, increasing by 74 percent over the prior year June. On a year-to-date basis, net orders for Class 8 vehicles are up by 50 percent while Classes 5-7 net orders are up by 26 percent.

"Early second quarter reports from publicly traded truckload carriers confirm the improving freight transportation environment, as revenues and profits are up significantly from 2009," said Steve Tam, vice president with ACT. "Overall orders are still below normal replacement levels, but momentum is building as trucker profitability improves," added Tam.

Source: ACT Research