Utility, Cargo and Specialty Trailer Manufacturers NAICS 336212, 336214

Jan 27, 2026 - FTR: Trailer Orders Rebound, but Cost Pressures Persist

• According to FTR Transportation Intelligence, US utility cargo and specialty trailer demand showed a short-term rebound in December, with net trailer orders rising 86% month over month to 24,282 units, though still 4% lower year over year and below the 10-year December average of 33,623 units. The rebound was led by dry vans, reflecting deferred orders from September through November, efforts to get ahead of potential tariff-related cost pass-throughs, antidumping investigations into imported trailers, and improved clarity around EPA 2027 emissions regulations. Structural cost pressures persist, as Section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum, and key trailer components have established a higher cost base with limited near-term relief. For full-year 2025, net trailer orders totaled 173,144 units, up 5% year over year, but 2026 order activity is down 20% year over year. December production fell to 11,801 units, lifting backlogs 16% month over month to 84,501 units, though backlogs remain 21% lower year over year.
• According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), producer prices for truck trailer manufacturers were up 3.4% in September 2025 year over year while producer prices for travel trailers and campers were up 2.8% during the same time frame. Average wages for nonsupervisory employees at transportation equipment manufacturers were up 6.8% in September 2025, reaching $37.16 per hour. Sales for motor vehicles and parts companies, including utility, cargo, and specialty trailer manufacturers, fell 1.8% in Q2 2025 year over year and were up 9.5% from the previous quarter, according to the Census Bureau. After-tax profits for motor vehicles and parts companies fell in Q2 2025 year over year, down 62.3% from a year ago and down 19.6% from the previous quarter.

• According to a report in Fleet Equipment Magazine, the US trailer manufacturing industry ended 2025 under pressure, with implications for utility cargo and specialty trailer producers. ACT Research reported that December marked the highest backlog-to-build ratio of the year, as larger backlogs combined with lower production. Backlogs began 2025 at 7.5 months but declined through the year before rising to a 4.4-month ratio in December, effectively committing production into Q2 2026. Cancellation rates remained elevated, with December cancellations at 1.8% of backlog, down from 2.5% in November, led by higher cancellations in van and tank trailers. Tank trailers faced the most pressure due to reduced oil and gas activity. While near-term demand remains limited entering 2026, ACT noted improving fundamentals, including rising freight rates and growing replacement needs, which could support stronger demand for utility cargo and specialty trailers later in 2026.
• The transportation equipment manufacturing category is one of the 15 manufacturing industries reporting contraction in December’s Manufacturing ISM Report on Business. Transportation equipment manufacturers reported a decline in new orders, lower volumes of imports, and lower backlogs while reporting faster supplier deliveries, price increases for raw materials, and growth in production and employment. Other manufacturing industries reporting contraction during the period included Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Textile Mills; Paper Products; Chemical Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Primary Metals; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Plastics & Rubber Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Machinery; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products. Two sectors reported growth in the period including Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; and Computer & Electronic Products. Overall, economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in December, with the Manufacturing PMI registering 48.7%.