North American Class 8 truck orders closed out 2025 with a dramatic upswing, according to new preliminary data from FTR.
The firm reported that December orders soared to 42,200 units, marking the highest monthly total since October 2022 and landing well above the long-term December average. The month-over-month increase reached 108 percent, while year-over-year orders climbed 21 percent.
Both the on‑highway and vocational segments posted similar percentage gains compared to November, though on‑highway trucks accounted for most of the year-over-year growth. Even with the strong finish to the year, cumulative orders for the 2026 build season—measured from September through December—were still down 22 percent from the same period a year earlier, reflecting persistent market challenges. Over the past 12 months, Class 8 orders totaled 22,178 units.
FTR attributes much of December’s surge to improved clarity around tariffs and emissions regulations. Fleets had been waiting for direction on Section 232 tariffs, which took effect on November 1 but ultimately proved less burdensome than expected. At the same time, regulatory uncertainty eased as word spread that the Environmental Protection Agency is preparing revisions to the 2027 NOx rule. The anticipated proposal would maintain the 2027 implementation date and emissions standard but remove extended warranty requirements and adjust other compliance elements.
That information didn’t circulate widely until shortly before Thanksgiving, which may explain why the order spike materialized in December rather than November.
Dan Moyer, Senior Analyst for Commercial Vehicles at FTR, noted that the strong month does not necessarily signal a broad market turnaround.
“Despite greater policy clarity, freight demand remains soft, fleet profitability is constrained, and capital spending discipline persists amid rising costs,” he pointed out. “As a result, December’s order strength likely reflects the release of deferred orders along with the early stages of a modest EPA 2027 NOx pre-buy rather than a broader demand inflection. A more durable recovery in equipment demand will require a sustained improvement in underlying economic and freight market conditions.”
FTR will release the final December 2025 order figures later this month as part of its North American Commercial Truck & Trailer Outlook service. The company also announced the addition of a new data set covering US intermodal chassis trailers, including net orders, build, and backlog data dating back to 2014.
For more information, visit www.FTRintel.com or contact the company at sales@ftrintel.com.