Used-truck sales volumes slip in October

Reported volumes of used Classes 3-8 truck sales slipped back into negative territory in October 2011 after enjoying a recovery in September. Scarce inventory and sustained demand may be the cause. The update on the used market was reported in the latest release of the State of the Industry: US Classes 3-8 Used Trucks, published by ACT Research.

“Despite continued improvement on the new-truck sales side, along with repeated assurances that carriers are not expanding their fleets, expected trade-ins have yet to provide any relief to the growing equipment shortage,” said Steve Tam, vice-president–commercial vehicle sector with ACT. “Special programs in the late 1990s and early 2000s that lured traditional used-truck buyers into new-truck purchases are no longer in effect, so the demand for used equipment continues to expand.”

The report from ACT provides data on the average used price for the top-selling Class 8 model for each of the major truck OEMs: Freightliner (Daimler); Kenworth and Peterbilt (Paccar); International (Navistar); and Volvo and Mack (Volvo). For subscription information on the full report, go to www.actresearch.net.