Report: Used Truck Sales Down, Trailer Sales Up

Back-to-back research reports paint a different picture for September: sales of Class 8 used trucks dipped, while trailer sales spiked. 

Both reports came from ACT Research. In an Oct. 26 report, the company found that retail volume for used Class 8 trucks declined 12 percent month-over-month. 

“Used truck sales typically see a small decline in September, relative to August, but this drop exceeded expectations,” stated Steve Tam, vice president at ACT. 

The report also noted that the average number of miles for these vehicles were down 2 percent month-over-month, while the price and age of the vehicles dropped 3 percent. 

From a macro lens, average price, miles and age are all up year-over-year and year-to-date, ACT said. 

An ACT report released the very next day showed a substantial increase — 47 percent — in September trailer orders compared to August, with a total of 26,086 units sold. However, when compared to September 2021, sales are down  

percent. 

“September is a quarter-ending month, and keeping with historical patterns, the clearing of red-tag units buttressed strong build and factory shipment data this month,” stated Jennifer McNealy, director-CV market research and publications at ACT.