NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Following a small pre-buy at the end of 2009 to avoid costly EPA2010 engines, Class 8 net order activity has once again cooled off, according to the latest figures from FTR Associates.

The industry analyst says January Class 8 net orders for the US, Canada and Mexico reached their lowest level since 2002.

North American OEMs received orders for just 6,221 Class 8 units in the month, according to preliminary data from FTR. That’s the lowest number since July, 2002.

“The very low order activity for January was not unexpected,” explained FTR president Eric Starks. “When fleets took advantage of open build slots in late 2009, we knew this activity would take away from planned orders in the New Year. We continue to expect a soft first half for 2010 but believe some demand will slowly return late in the year. Our overall annual forecast for Class 8 production this year remains relatively flat from 2009, with significant improvement expected in 2011.”

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