Surge in Class 8 truck orders a sign that US economy is picking up: analysts

Southfield, Michigan

ORDERS for semi trucks are rebounding after an almost two-year long slump, a positive sign for a US economy that's having growth crimped by sluggish passenger car sales.

Preliminary net orders for Class 8 trucks - which weigh in at more than 33,000 pounds - surged 81 per cent in July, the biggest monthly jump in almost three years, according to ACT Research. Demand has been perking up after a 20-month streak of shrinking orders ended in November.

The recovery for 18-wheelers contrasts with car and light truck sales in the US, which have dropped each month this year and plunged in July by the most since August 2010, a year after the federal government's "Cash for Clunkers" programme came to an end. The truck orders are signalling confidence in growth that's being supported by stead…