Utility, Cargo and Specialty Trailer Manufacturers
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 1,026 utility, cargo and specialty trailer manufacturers in the US produce a wide variety of trailers that attach to automobiles and trucks for towing. Products include flat-bed vehicle transport trailers, boat trailers, utility trailers, cargo trailers, lift and dump trailers, horse and livestock trailers, log and pipe wagons, reel trailers, semi-trailers, and tank trailers.
Competition from Used Trailers
Trailer manufacturers compete with brands from other manufacturers, as well as used trailers sold by dealers.
Food Truck Growth
The explosion of the mobile food truck industry has significantly raised demand for modified cargo trailers.
Industry size & Structure
A typical utility, cargo and specialty trailer manufacturer operates out of a single location, employs 103 workers, and generates about $36 million annually.
- The utility, cargo, and specialty trailer manufacturing industry consists of about 1,026 companies that employ about 106,000 workers and generate about $37 billion annually.
- Customers include construction and landscaping firms, horse and livestock owners, towing services, trucking companies, logging operations, water tour operators, trailer rental firms, food truck up-fitters, and those needing to transport vehicles, equipment or other cargo.
- Large companies include Sundowner, Kaufman, RollingStar, and Wilson Trailer.
Industry Forecast
Utility, Cargo and Specialty Trailer Manufacturers Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Jan 30, 2025 - Sales Down, Wages Up
- Sales for motor vehicles and parts companies, including utility, cargo, and specialty trailer manufacturers, fell in Q3 2024, down 7.1% from Q3 2023 and down nearly 6% from the previous quarter, according to the Census Bureau. After-tax profits for motor vehicles and parts companies fell in Q3 2024 year over year, down nearly 30% from a year ago and down 36.7% from the previous quarter. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, average wages for nonsupervisory employees at motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturers were up 3.5% in November 2024, reaching $26.03 per hour.
- The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) monthly jobs report shows that unfilled job openings declined in December 2024, with a seasonally adjusted 35% of small business owners reporting jobs they could not fill. The reading is down one point from November 2024. A seasonally adjusted net 19% of small business owners plan to create new jobs over the next three months, up one point from November. About 20% of owners reported labor quality as the most important problem facing the business. According to NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg, “Finding qualified workers remained a major headwind for stronger job growth on Main Street in December. In the meantime, compensation increases have softened among small businesses, but remained solid as the year came to an end.”
- US trailer net orders reached the highest monthly net order total in December 2024 since October 2023, according to Freight Transportation Research (FTR) data in Fleet Equipment Magazine. US trailer net orders increased 11% in December 2024 compared to a year ago, reaching 25,334 units. Compared to the previous month, orders were up 7%. Trailer production decreased 10% in December 2024, which is a typical seasonal decline. However, production also fell 40% year over year in December, marking the lowest monthly output since 2010. Trailer backlogs grew in December 2024, ending at just over 104,725 units and the highest level since January 2024.
- US manufacturing activity contracted in December 2024, marking the ninth consecutive month of contraction for the Manufacturing PMI, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s Manufacturing ISM Report on Business. The Manufacturing PMI registered 49.3% in December, up 0.9 percentage points from the 48.4% recorded in November. A reading above 50% indicates manufacturing expansion. Seven industries reported contraction in December including Textile Mills; Fabricated Metal Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Machinery; Chemical Products; Transportation Equipment; and Nonmetallic Mineral Products. Seven industries reported growth in December including Primary Metals; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; and Wood Products.
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