February Class 8 truck orders totaled 7,628 units last month, 19.7% higher than January but significantly less than the 2009 monthly average of 10,064 units.
The figure includes the U.S., Canadian and Mexican markets, as well as exports, according to FTR Associates, a firm that tracks trucking industry trends.
FTR President Eric Starks says February's numbers "were what we expected. Our forecast models continue to predict slow recovery in new Class 8 orders... and a large inventory of useable vehicles on the market. We don't expect a good bounce in Class 8 demand until 2011."