Volvo introduced the VNL line in 2024. (Volvo Group)
March 16, 2026 8:00 PM, EDT
Key Takeaways:
- TEL ordered 400 Volvo VNL 860 sleeper tractors, one of the largest orders for the model.
- North American Class 8 truck demand has surged in early 2026 after a slow 2025.
- Volvo says more than 15,000 updated VNL models are already in commercial operation.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Leasing company TEL ordered 400 VNL 860 sleeper tractors from Volvo Trucks North America, the truck maker said March 16, adding that it was one of the largest orders for the truck yet.
Chattanooga, Tenn.-based TEL, founded in 2004, offers Class 8 sleeper and day cab tractors plus flatbed, refrigerated and dry van trailers.
“The Volvo VNL 860 brings a distinct combination of innovation, safety and efficiency that complements the rest of our fleet extremely well. This gives our customers more choice and flexibility while maintaining the high standards they expect from TEL equipment,” said Aaron Thompson, vice president of asset management for TEL.
“We are committed to investing in equipment that supports our owner-operators and fleets in a way that gives them the lowest total cost to operate,” Thompson continued. “Adding Volvo to our leasing lineup is a natural next step for TEL.”
The deal was announced at American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council Annual Meeting.
VTNA said around 15,000 of the revamped VNLs are now in commercial operation across the U.S. and Canada.
Production of the latest iteration of the VNL began in October 2024 at the New River Valley assembly plant in Dublin, Va.
Orders for the VNL were lower than expected in 2025, as they were for all manufacturers, due to the ongoing freight recession.
VTNA halted production on individual days in the final quarter of 2025 and demand was then so subdued that the New River Valley assembly line — alongside that of sister company Mack Trucks’ Lehigh Valley Operations facility — was shut for a week at a time at various points in the first quarter of 2026.
And in March 2025, VTNA laid off hundreds of production plant employees at its largest manufacturing facility.
Orders Rebound in 2026
However, orders have surged since the start of 2026. North American Class 8 truck orders jumped 156% year over year to 46,200 units in February and rose 50% from 30,806 in January, according to ACT Research data.
Parent company Volvo Group raised its full-year industrywide North American Class 8 guidance by 6% to 265,000 trucks in January.
Previous large VNL 860 orders included Averitt Express buying 264 trucks in 2025 and Koch Trucking buying 185.
Averitt ranks No. 29 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America. Koch ranks No. 81 on the for-hire TT100.
VTNA believes the VNL model is packed with features that can help carriers navigate the ongoing rough waters the trucking industry is crossing, including fuel efficiency at a time of elevated diesel prices.
