--- title: U.S. Trailer Net Orders Fell Sharply in May to 6,738 Units description: Tariff increases and market uncertainty cause a sharp decline in U.S. trailer net orders in May, posing challenges for OEMs and fleets. Discover the full analysis and implications. image: https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/06-June/Trailer%20Orders%20June%202025%20(2).png --- ![](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/06-June/Trailer%20Orders%20June%202025%20(2).png?width=1600&height=500&name=Trailer%20Orders%20June%202025%20(2).png) forecasting SCI # U.S. Trailer Net Orders Fell Sharply in May to 6,738 Units ![Dan Moyer, Sr. Analyst, Commerical Vehicles](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marketing%20Collateral/FTR%20Headshots%20and%20Bios/Headshots/Cropped/Dan%20Moyer%20cropped.jpg?width=48&height=48&name=Dan%20Moyer%20cropped.jpg) Dan Moyer, Sr. Analyst, Commerical Vehicles June 19, 2025 U.S. Trailer Net Orders Fell Sharply in May to 6,738 Units 2:34 U.S. trailer net orders dropped 34% in May to 6,738 units—well beyond typical seasonal softening—according to the latest data from FTR. While the year-over-year comparison was slightly positive (+3%) due to weak orders in May 2024, the broader trend signals a challenging environment for trailer OEMs and fleets alike. ### Key Metrics at a Glance - 📉 **May Net Orders**: 6,738 units (–34% m/m; +3% y/y) - 📦 **Order Cancellations**: 37.6% of gross orders, the highest in 12 months - 🏗 **Trailer Builds**: 16,958 units (–4% m/m; –24% y/y) - 🗂 **Backlogs**: Down 11,376 units to 108,955 (–9% m/m; –16% y/y) - 📊 **Backlog/Build Ratio**: Now at 6.4 months The sharp rise in cancellations—nearly doubling from April’s 20%—highlights growing fleet hesitation in response to mounting uncertainty. Net orders for the current 2025 order cycle (Sept–May) now total 161,657 units, down 10% from the prior year. ### Tariff Shock and Cost Pressures Weigh on Fleets ![Dan Moyer cropped](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marketing%20Collateral/FTR%20Headshots%20and%20Bios/Headshots/Cropped/Dan%20Moyer%20cropped.jpg?width=157&height=157&name=Dan%20Moyer%20cropped.jpg)FTR Senior Analyst Dan Moyer points to rising tariffs as a key disruptor: > “The ever-evolving tariff environment continues to disrupt the U.S. trailer market. The increase in tariffs on steel, aluminum, and fabricated components to 50% on June 4 will significantly increase production costs for OEMs/suppliers, putting further downside pressure on trailer demand.” While recent reductions in Chinese import tariffs may offer some relief, country-specific tariffs and emergency powers-based duties add layers of complexity. Moyer continues: > “OEMs and suppliers face pressure to either absorb rising costs or pass some or all of them on to fleets, potentially impacting fleet expansion and maintenance strategies. As a result, some fleets may delay new trailer purchases or turn to refurbished and alternative options. Potential consequences include heightened market price sensitivity, extended trailer lifecycles, and a shifting of some demand toward used equipment or alternative configurations.” ### Context and Implications Fleets are navigating a turbulent mix of macroeconomic pressure, legal uncertainties around tariffs, and production cost spikes. The May figures offer a stark reminder that policy changes can ripple quickly across the freight equipment landscape. 📈 View accompanying chart: [FTR Trailer Orders](https://www.ftrintel.com/trailer-orders) [![FTR blog_subscriptions_TTO download report](https://content.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/FTR%20blog_subscriptions_TTO%20download%20report.jpg?width=1200&length=1200&name=FTR%20blog_subscriptions_TTO%20download%20report.jpg) ](https://www.ftrintel.com/truck-trailer-outlook) The most comprehensive view of the commercial vehicle landscape.  Download a sample today! [![11 Podcast Graphics - Updated 5.28.24(2)](https://content.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/11%20Podcast%20Graphics%20-%20Updated%205.28.24(2).png?width=1200&length=1200&name=11%20Podcast%20Graphics%20-%20Updated%205.28.24(2).png) ](https://www.ftrintel.com/trucking-podcast) **Stay Ahead of the Curve with Our Trucking Podcast with Avery Vise!** Your go-to source for expert insights, industry trends, and actionable strategies in the trucking industry. Tune in weekly and drive your business forward! [![FTR_Schedule a market update call](https://5867190.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/5867190/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/FTR_Schedule%20a%20market%20update%20call.jpg?width=1200&length=1200&name=FTR_Schedule%20a%20market%20update%20call.jpg) ](https://freight.ftrintel.com/dan-moyer/muc) Trailer market shifting fast? **Schedule a Market Update Call with Dan Moyer** to get expert insights on how tariffs, cancellations, and production trends could impact your fleet strategy. [![Dan Moyer Industry Connection](https://5867190.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/5867190/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/05-May/Dan%20Moyer%20Industry%20Connection.png?width=1200&length=1200&name=Dan%20Moyer%20Industry%20Connection.png) ](https://today.ftrintel.com/industry-connections-dan-moyer) **Want to learn more about Dan Moyer? ** Check out this blog where Dan talks about his background.   ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Ftoday.ftrintel.com%2Ftrailer-order-june-2025](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Ftoday.ftrintel.com%2Ftrailer-order-june-2025) ## Keep reading [![](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marketing%20Collateral/Blogs/Blog%20images/2026/July/_Class%208%20July%202026%20blog.png?width=1600&height=500&name=_Class%208%20July%202026%20blog.png) class 8 trucks forecasting ### Class 8 Orders Surge Again as Industry Nears 2026 Production Capacity ](https://today.ftrintel.com/class-8-july-2026) [![](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marketing%20Collateral/Blogs/Blog%20images/2026/June/_RMU%20June%2026%202026%20blog.png?width=1600&height=500&name=_RMU%20June%2026%202026%20blog.png) intermodal carload Rail ### Rail Traffic Holds Steady While Intermodal Extends Its Winning Streak ](https://today.ftrintel.com/rmu-june-26-2026) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Dan Moyer, Sr. Analyst, Commerical Vehicles", "url" : "https://today.ftrintel.com/author/dan-moyer" }, "dateModified" : "2025-06-19T18:31:24.746Z", "datePublished" : "2025-06-19T18:31:24.000Z", "headline" : "U.S. Trailer Net Orders Fell Sharply in May to 6,738 Units", "image" : [ "https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/06-June/Trailer%20Orders%20June%202025%20(2).png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://today.ftrintel.com/trailer-order-june-2025", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/FTR%20Logos%20and%20Icons/FTR_Logo_Primary_FullColor.png" }, "name" : "FTR | Transportation Intelligence" } } ```