According to a survey done by Trailer Body Builders, an industry publication, North American truck trailer manufacturer’s production increased by 9.4% in 2012. Though most manufacturers experienced some growth, it appears that the medium and smaller companies shared a larger percentage than their larger counterparts. From the survey questions, it seems that most of the trailer sales were to replace aging equipment, not necessarily for fleet expansion. This club of trailer manufacturers produce a diverse range of equipment including dry vans, platform trailer, tank trailer, dump trucks, container and specialized chassis, dry bulk trailers and more. Their clientele range from forestry and agriculture to oilfield, chemicals and construction. Most of the increases were in the tank trailers and platform trailers it seemed while container chassis sales were stagnant or decreased. Of this list of top 25 producers, most CEOs were positive about the sales forecast for 2013, predicting modest increases for 2013. There were some who felt 2013 sales would be flat in their industry, typically those servicing the fracking industry with limitations on sand productions or the threat of increased regulation. Most companies are also working on healthy manufacturing back logs. I am hopeful that 2013 will continue strong sales trend as with this first quarter and that perhaps 2014 will bring us even more stability and growth.
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