Commercial Vehicle Demand Will Grow From 2014's Solid Foundation

摘要

A strong rebound in Class 8 and a continuation of the slow-but-steady rise in medium-duty Classes 5 through 7 vehicle demand lined up nicely with expectations for North American commercial vehicle production in 2014. Looking to 2015, ACT Research expects that medium and heavy commercial vehicle demand will continue to improve. Underlying that expectation is a belief that, barring a shock, the economy will continue to gain traction and consistency. With the generally stronger economic footing, commercial vehicle fundamentals are positive - the medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicle fleets are old, new truck fuel economy is materially better and especially in the case of Class 8, truckers see a path to steady profitability. Any discussion of the Classes 5 through 8 vehicle demand outlook has to start with an overview of economic expectations. To that end, the excesses of the last decade have largely been worked through and for the first time since 2006, the U.S. economy is very close to running on all cylinders.