Used Class 8 Truck Sales Fall 12% in January

Used Class 8 truck sales fell to 2,239 units in January - a 12% decline from December and a 3% decline year-over-year, according to a report from ACT Research.

The drop off in sales was not unexpected as a seasonal decline in January has been common, according to Steve Tam, vice president of the commercial vehicle sector with ACT.

“The pull back in volumes was in line with a seasonal pattern we’ve seen in four of the last six January’s said Tam. “All three segments of the market – auction, retail, and wholesale – experienced slowing.”

Pricing was up 7% year-over-year despite the average age of used trucks increasing by 1%. However, pricing is not expected to grow in 2015.

“Two catalysts that will keep a lid on pricing growth this year are tougher comparisons and, hopefully some relief on the inventory front,” said Tam.

ACT’s State of the Industry: U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Trucks is a regular report that provides data on average selling price, miles and age based on a representative sampling of the industry. The report also provides the average selling price for top-selling Class 8 models from each of the major truck OEM’s – Freightliner, Kenworth, Peterbilt, International, Volvo and Mack.