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MINNEAPOLIS — ABF Freight System truck driver Ralph Garcia had to make a choice between being at the hospital for the birth of his first grandson or competing here in the 2012 National Truck Driving Championships.

New orders for trailers continued at a strong pace in March, despite dropping 30% from a year ago, ACT Research Co., Columbus, Ind., reported, adding that total orders for the first quarter were down just 1% from the strong performance in the first three months of 2011.

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Great Dane Trailers unveiled two major expansion projects for its operations in the Savannah area last week, officially opening the doors on its ninth manufacturing plant and breaking ground for an engineering and testing facility.

Customers ordered a net total of 21,800 new commercial trailers in February, a 4% drop from last February, ACT Research Co. reported, but manufacturers were confident it was just a temporary lull.

Trailer makers experienced robust ordering activity to end 2011 and early this year, according to ACT Research Co. and interviews with manufacturers.

Trailer manufacturers may be facing an embarrassment of riches: too much business.

Private equity firm American Industrial Partners said it has purchased trailer manufacturer Heil Trailer International from Dover Corp. Terms were not disclosed.

Customers ordered 28,393 new trailers in November, a 29.5% increase from the same month a year earlier and the largest monthly total since March 2006, ACT Research Co. said.

New orders for commercial trailers dipped 0.8% in October from the year-ago level after a rise in cancellations, but manufacturers and retail sellers reported strong late October and early November activity.

Fleets today are running their trailers longer than they ever have, and they expect trailer suppliers to make products that can meet higher standards.