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New heavy-duty truck orders fell 23.4% to 16,200 in August from a year earlier, according to preliminary figures from ACT Research Co., and some truck makers said they plan more downtime at plants in order to trim production.

New Class 8 truck orders plunged 31.1% in July from the year-ago level to 12,900, the lowest monthly total since August 2010, according to preliminary data from ACT Research Co.

North American Class 8 truck orders fell 22.3% in June from a year earlier to 16,500, the lowest monthly figure since September 2010, according to preliminary data from ACT Research Co.

North American heavy truck orders fell 28% in June to 16,500, the sixth consecutive year-over-year decline, reflecting a seasonal slowdown and continued caution by potential buyers, ACT Research reported.

U.S. Class 8 truck orders continued to slump in May, dropping 23% from year-ago levels and declining for the fifth consecutive month as economic, financial and regulatory uncertainty dampened fleets’ buying decisions, analysts said.

Trailer orders staged a comeback last month after three straight monthly declines, climbing 12% above both the year-earlier month and March, as fleets stepped up the pace of replacing older equipment, ACT Research reported.

Durable goods orders rose 0.2% in April following a revised 3.7% drop the previous month, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

Truck producers received 17,200 new orders in April for Class 8 vehicles, a 55% drop from 38,094 in April 2011, ACT Research Co. reported.

Durable goods orders fell 4.2% in March, the biggest drop since January 2009, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

Factory orders for heavy-duty trucks declined for the third-straight month in March, sparking discussion over whether interest in new North American trucks is waning or if the industry is temporarily at rest.