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Fleet executives are expecting freight market struggles to continue for 12 to 18 months, with high capacity and low demand keeping rates depressed.

FTR Transportation Intelligence Senior Analyst Dan Moyer says weak freight demand, weak demand for commercial vehicles and excess inventory are keeping fleets from purchasing trucks.

“We are planning as best we can, but it’s a dartboard,” Mack Trucks President Jonathan Randall said. “What we would like is a level of certainty.”

Preliminary net data showed orders increased 18% to 8,700 units compared with the same time last year. But they also dropped 43% sequentially from June.

North American Class 8 truck orders continued to trend below prior-year results by slipping nearly 2% in July, according to ACT Research.

The trucking industry is wrestling with an unclear market trajectory forged through a combination of chaotic geopolitical negotiations and enduring market weakness.

North American Class 8 truck orders continued to trend below the previous year but did see a surprise sequential improvement during May, according to ACT Research.

Preliminary data showed orders decreased 52.1% year over year to 7,600 units from 15,850. They also fell 53.9% sequentially when compared to the 16,500 units in March.

Truck manufacturers are set to raise the prices of new Class 8 tractors as early as May as a result of tariffs on U.S. imports, with further hikes likely on the way.

North American Class 8 truck orders in February remained below year-ago comparisons for a second consecutive month after a short uptick in December, according to ACT Research.